Sunitinib dose escalation after disease progression in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
458 Background: Previous pharmacologic studies demonstrated that higher sunitinib ( S) exposure is associated with improved clinical outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients. We aimed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of S dose escalation in mRCC patients progressing on the standard 50mg dose. Methods: A single institution retrospective review was conducted on mRCC patients, treated outside trials with a 50 mg S dose given on an individualized schedule between October 2009 and January 2016, who subsequently progressed on imaging. At progression, patients were dose escalated to 62.5 and 75mg on an individualized schedule if toxicity permitted. Median Progression and Overall Survival (PFS, OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan Meier method. PFS1 and 2 were defined as the time between the start of sunitinib and first progression and the time between dose escalation and second progression respectively. Results: Twenty-five eligible patients were identified, with a median follow-up of 40.3 months (11.1-66.6) and a mean age of 54 years (12.4). The majority of patients underwent cytoreductive surgery (92%) and were men (88%). Thirty two percent, 44%, and 24% had a good, intermediate, and poor prognostic Heng score respectively. At the 50 mg doses, 60% and 16% of patients had a partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD) respectively with a median time to progression (TTP) of 11.4 months (95% CI, 3-20.7). After progression, 36% and 28% had PR and SD on higher doses of S respectively with a TTP of 7.8 months (95% CI, 6.3-12.4). Three patients with progressive disease as best response on a 50 mg S dose achieved SD (2/3) or PR (1/3) after dose escalation. The median PFS1, PFS2, and OS were 6.1 months (95% CI, 2.3-19.4), 6.7 months (95% CI, 3.1-8.4), and 63.7 months (95% CI, 26-not reached) respectively. The most common adverse events after dose escalation were fatigue (56%), diarrhea (40%), and skin toxicity (28%). Conclusions: Patients with mRCC who progress on a 50 mg S dose, may derive a clinical benefit and prolonged survival from dose escalation with acceptable toxicity profiles. These results need to be confirmed in well-designed prospective studies with the aim to optimize the duration of benefit from S therapy.