Angiogenesis inhibitor therapies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: effectiveness, safety and treatment patterns in clinical practice-based on medical chart review.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness, safety, and treatment patterns of anti-angiogenic agents in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in tertiary clinical practice settings.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records in two tertiary oncology centres in the USA for all patients treated while off clinical trials from April 2003 to June 2008 who met the entry criteria and received one or more prescriptions for sunitinib or sorafenib, or one or more intravenous administrations of bevacizumab (off-label) as first-line anti-angiogenic treatment. The objective response rate (ORR) reviewed by independent physicians, adverse events (AEs), and treatment modifications were assessed.