Outcomes of axitinib versus sunitinib as first ‐line therapy to patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the immune‐oncology era

This study was aimed at comparing the efficacy of two TKIs —axitinib and sunitinib—in mRCC patients. From January 2008 to October 2018, we registered 703 mRCC patients from 8 Japanese institutes. Of these, 408 patients received axitinib or sunitinib as the first-line treatment. Thereafter, efficacy and survival rate were compared between the axitinib and sunitinib groups. To reduce the effects of selection bias and potential confounders, propensity score matching analysis was performed. Axitinib and sunitinib were administered in 274 and 134 patients, respectively. More than 25% of the patients received nivolumab sequence therapy. To calculate t he propensity scores for each patient, we performed multivariate logistic regression analysis. The objective response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), cause-specific survival, and overall survival (OS) were significantly better in the axitinib group than in the sunitinib group. Furthermore, th e OS was better in the nivolumab-treated patients in the axitinib group. Axitinib showed higher efficacy and afforded greater survival benefits than did sunitinib when administered as first-line therapy in mRCC patients. Thus, from among VEGFR-TKIs, axitinib might be a possible option for applicatio n in the middle of IO drug-based treatment sequences.

Source: Cancer Medicine - July 27, 2021 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Kazuyuki Numakura, Yumin Muto, Sei Naito, Shingo Hatakeyama, Renpei Kato, Tomoyuki Koguchi, Takahiro Kojima, Yoshihide Kawasaki, Syuya Kandori, Sadafumi Kawamura, Yoichi Arai, Akihiro Ito, Hiroyuki Nishiyama, Yoshiyuki Kojima, Wataru Obara, Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research