525 Background: Sunitinib (S) is a standard first line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Asthenia and fatigue are the most prevalent toxicities but the relevant causes are not fully elucidated. Since endocrine glands are highly vascularized, the potent antiangiogenic effect of S can potentially impair their function. With the exception of hypothyroidism, the endocrine-related side-effects of S have not been extensively explored. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in which pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and gonadal functions were assessed in 25 mRCC patients who received 9 months of S therapy. Since a high prevalence of hypogonadism was observed, we subsequently enrolled 16 mRCC male patients in a prospective cohort study in which serum testosterone (T) serum free T, serum FSH and LH were evaluated at baseline and after 6 weeks (1 cycle) of S therapy. In patients eligible for testosterone replacement after andrologic evaluation, a FACT-G questionnaire for quality of life (QoL) assessment was prospectively administered at baseline and after 3 months. Results: In the cross sectional study 15/22 S treated male patients (68%) had serum T below the normal range and 13 of them (87%) presented with low/normal levels of LH. In the prospective study mean T levels (95% CI) were 5.04 ng/ml (3.4 - 6.7) at baseline and 4.1 ng/ml (3 - 5.3) after 6 weeks (p 0.05). The corresponding free T were 91.4 pg/ml (66 – 116.8) and 80.2 pg/ml (65 – 95.3) (p 0.24), respectively. Hypogonadism was observed in 5 (31%) patients at baseline and 10 (63%) patients after 6 weeks of S therapy. In the 5 patients becoming hypogonadic after S therapy, LH was 11.4 mU/ml (3.2 - 19.5) at baseline and 11.5 mUI/ml (0 – 23.5) after 6 weeks. Four patients were addressed to testosterone replacement. QoL significantly improved in 3 of them, with the strongest advantage in the physical comfort area. Conclusions: S therapy induces hypogonadism in a high proportion of male patients with mRCC. Low or inappropriately normal LH levels are consistent with a pituitary origin of the endocrine disorder. Testosterone replacement may improve the QoL and treatment tolerance.
Burden and Quality of Life Among Female and Male Patients with Heart Failure in Europe: A Real-World Cross-Sectional Study
