Alternate sunitinib schedules in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

• Published in: Annals of oncology Vol. 26; no. 7; pp. 1300 - 1304
• Main Authors: Kalra, S., Rini, B.I., Jonasch, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2015; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: alternate schedule; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - secondary; Drug Administration Schedule; Humans; Indoles - therapeutic use; Kidney Neoplasms - drug therapy; Kidney Neoplasms - pathology; Prognosis; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Pyrroles - therapeutic use; renal cell carcinoma; Reviews; Sunitinib; sunitinib; renal cell carcinoma; alternate schedule; drug administration schedule
• ISSN: 0923-7534; 1569-8041
• DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdv030

Sunitinib malate is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor exhibiting antiangiogenic activity. Sunitinib demonstrated improved outcomes in comparison to interferon-α in a large phase III study of treatment naïve patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Maintaining patients on sunitinib treatment is essential for a sustained disease control as higher exposure to sunitinib has been associated with an improved overall response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival. Various studies have compared the outcomes of patients undergoing sunitinib therapy based on modifications from their standard dose and schedule. Several studies have shown that switching to an alternate schedule with more frequent dose interruptions without affecting dose density over a 6-week cycle is associated with improved outcomes and increased tolerability.