Real-world outcomes of avelumab plus axitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in Japan: long-term follow-up from the J-DART2 retrospective study.

Avelumab + axitinib was approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) in Japan in December 2019. We report long-term real-world outcomes with first-line avelumab + axitinib from the J-DART2 study in Japan.

J-DART2 was a multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective study examining clinical data from patients with curatively unresectable locally advanced or metastatic RCC who started treatment with first-line avelumab + axitinib in Japan between December 2019 and October 2022. Endpoints included patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes.

Data from 150 patients across 19 sites were analyzed; median follow-up was 18.7 months (95% CI, 16.3-20.6 months). Median age was 70.5 years; 26.0% of patients were aged ≤64 years, 42.7% were aged 65-74 years, and 31.3% were aged ≥75 years. International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium risk was favorable in 26.0%, intermediate in 54.7% (1 risk factor in 30.7%; 2 risk factors in 24.0%), and poor in 19.3% of patients. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 17.1 months, with 1- and 2-year PFS rates of 57.7% and 37.5%, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was not reached, with 1- and 2-year OS rates of 90.6% and 84.7%, respectively. Objective response rate was 53.3%; disease control rate was 88.9%. Outcomes were similar across age groups, including patients aged ≥75 years.

J-DART2 is the largest retrospective study to report long-term real-world outcomes in patients with aRCC treated with avelumab + axitinib in Japan. Findings were similar to those observed in previous studies and support the benefit of avelumab + axitinib in clinical practice in Japan.

International journal of clinical oncology. 2024 Nov 16 [Epub ahead of print]

Taigo Kato, Junya Furukawa, Nobuyuki Hinata, Kosuke Ueda, Isao Hara, Fumiya Hongo, Ryuichi Mizuno, Teppei Okamoto, Hiroshi Okuno, Takayuki Ito, Masahiro Kajita, Mototsugu Oya, Yoshihiko Tomita, Nobuo Shinohara, Masatoshi Eto, Hirotsugu Uemura

Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Oska, 565-0871, Japan., Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan., Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi 1-2-3, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan., Department of Urology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Asahi-Machi 67, Kurume-shi, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan., Department of Urology, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama, 641-8509, Japan., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan., Department of Urology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan., Department of Urology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8562, Japan., Department of Urology, National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, 1-1 Fukakusa-Mukaihatacho, Fushimiku, Kyoto, 612-8555, Japan., Medical Department, Merck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, 1-8-1 Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8926, Japan., Departments of Urology and Molecular Oncology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi Street, Chuo Ward, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan., Department of Renal and Genitourinary Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita15, Nishi7, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8638, Japan., Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan., Department of Urology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-Higashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan. .