Safety and treatment patterns of multikinase inhibitors in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma at a tertiary oncology center in Italy.

Background: Multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) sunitinib and sorafenib have become a standard of care for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). This study assessed safety and treatment patterns for these agents in a real-world clinical practice setting in Italy.

Methods: A retrospective medical record review was performed at a tertiary oncology center in Italy.

Predictive value of baseline serum vascular endothelial growth factor and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in advanced kidney cancer patients receiving sunitinib.

To identify factors that might predict response to sunitinib in patients with renal cell carcinoma, we measured serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels. A total of 85 patients were selected and, using the Motzer classification, 46 were assigned to the good- and 38 to the intermediate-risk groups. With univariate Cox analysis, both baseline serum VEGF and NGAL titers, determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, significantly predicted progression-free survival.