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. 2011 Oct;34(5):454-9.
doi: 10.1097/COC.0b013e3181f47aa4.

Sarcomatoid-variant renal cell carcinoma: treatment outcome and survival in advanced disease

Ana M Molina  1 , Satish K Tickoo, Nicole Ishill, Michael J Trinos, Lawrence H Schwartz, Sujata Patil, Darren R Feldman, Victor E Reuter, Paul Russo, Robert J Motzer
Affiliations

Sarcomatoid-variant renal cell carcinoma: treatment outcome and survival in advanced disease

Ana M Molina et al. Am J Clin Oncol. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: Sarcomatoid variant is a spindle cell phenotype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is associated with a poor prognosis. We reviewed outcomes of systemic therapy for metastatic, sarcomatoid-variant RCC.

Methods: Clinical features, treatment outcome, and survival were evaluated in 63 patients with sarcomatoid-variant metastatic RCC (47 clear cell, 16 nonclear cell). Initial systemic treatment included antiangiogenesis-targeted therapy (n=34), cytokines (n=20), and chemotherapy (n=9).

Results: Five of 63 patients (8%) achieved an objective response to the first systemic treatment: 1 (5%) to cytokine and 4 (12%) to sunitinib-targeted therapy. Median progression-free survival for 63 patients was 3 months (95% confidence interval), and median overall survival was 10 months (95% confidence interval). The median progression-free survival for patients treated with sunitinib versus all others was 4.4 months versus 2 months (P=0.03), and 3 months for patients with clear-cell histology versus 1.6 months for nonclear-cell histology (P=0.004).

Conclusions: Metastatic sarcomatoid-variant RCC was associated with a poor response to systemic therapy. Sunitinib treatment resulted in a modest response rate, but studies to characterize the underlying tumor biology of sarcomatoid-variant RCC, to assess outcome to targeted agents, and to develop novel treatment strategies are warranted.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial disclosures: Robert J. Motzer---research funding from Pfizer, Wyeth, Novartis, and GlaxoSmithKline; consulting with Novartis. Darren Feldman---research funding from Pfizer. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Progression-free survival. CI indicates confidence interval.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
A, Progression-free survival by treatment. B, Progression-free survival by histology.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Overall survival. CI indicates confidence interval.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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