Which factors help to determine the long-term response to first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A Turkish multi-centre study

Many developing countries lack access to recommended first-line treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or ICI-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combinations. As a result, predictive markers are necessary to identify patients who may benefit from single-agent TKIs for long-term response. This study aims to identify such parameters. This was a multi-centre, retrospective study of patients with mRCC who were undergoing first-line treatment with sunitinib or pazopanib. Patients who had been diagnosed with mRCC and had not experienced disease progression for 36 months or more were deemed to have achieved a long-term response. Predictive clinical and pathological characteristics of patients who did not experience long-term disease progression were investigated. A total of 320 patients from four hospitals were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 60 years (range 20-89 years). According to the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk classification, 109 patients were classified as having favourable risk and 211 were in the intermediate-poor risk group. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients were 12.5 months and 76.4 months, respectively. In the long-term responder’s group, the median PFS was 78.4 months. Among all patients, prior nephrectomy, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS) <1, and the absence of brain metastasis were predictive factors for long-term response. For patients in the favourable risk group, the lack of brain metastasis was a predictor of long-term response. In the intermediate-poor risk group, prior nephrectomy and ECOG PS <1 were predictive factors for long-term response. Some individuals with mRCC may experience a durable response to TKIs. The likelihood of a long-term response can be determined by factors such as nephrectomy, ECOG PS < 1, and the absence of brain metastases

The prognostic factors in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: impact of treatment sequencing

The prognosis of patients with advanced HCC can vary widely depending on factors such as the stage of the cancer, the patient’s overall health, and treatment regimens. This study aimed to investigate survival outcomes and associated factors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this retrospective study, data from 23 medical oncology clinics were analyzed. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) values were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Prognostic factors associated with survival which were identified in univariate analysis were subsequently evaluated in a multivariate Cox-regression survival analysis was conducted using the backward stepwise (Conditional LR) method to determine the independent predictors of PFS and OS. Of 280 patients, 131 received chemotherapy and 142 received sorafenib, 6 received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and 1 received nivolumab for first-line setting. The median follow-up time was 30.4 (95%CI 27.1–33.6) months. For-first line, median PFS was 3.1 (95%CI2.7–3.5) months, and it was significantly longer in patients who received sorafenib or atezolizumab-bevacizumab or nivolumab (PFS 5.8 (95%CI 4.2–7.5) than in those received chemotherapy (PFS 2.1 (95%CI 1.9–2.3) in the first-line setting (p 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that male gender (HR: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.53–4.94, p = 0.01), poor ECOG performance score (HR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.10–3.21, p = 0.02), higher baseline AFP level (HR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.54–3.67, p 0.001) and upfront sorafenib treatment (HR,0.38; 95% CI: 0.23–0.62, p 0.001) were significantly associated with shorter PFS. The median OS was 13.2 (95%CI 11.1–15.2) months. It was significantly longer in patients who received sorafenib or atezolizumab-bevacizumab or nivolumab in the first-line setting followed by TKIs (sorafenib or regorafenib, OS 18.6 (95%CI 13.8–23.5)) compared to those who received chemotherapy (OS 10.3 (95%CI 6.6–14.1)) in the first-line setting. The multivariate analysis revealed that upfront chemotherapy treatment approach, male gender (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.07–2.94, p = 0.02), poor ECOG performance score (HR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.24–3.09, p = 0.004) and Child-Pugh score, presence of extrahepatic disease (HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.09–2.18, p = 0.01), and higher baseline AFP value (HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.03–2.19, p = 0.03) were significantly associated with poor prognosis. Additionally, regarding of treatment sequence, upfront sorafenib followed by regorafenib showed a significantly lower risk of mortality (HR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.25–0.66, p 0.001). Sorafenib followed by regorafenib treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality rather than upfront sorafenib followed by BSC group or upfront chemotherapy followed by TKIs. These findings underscore the importance of the optimal treatment sequences to improve survival in patients with advanced HCC. © 2024 Edizioni Scientifiche per l'Informazione su Farmaci e Terapia (Italian Society of Chemotherapy)