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. 2025 Jan 22:17:103-112.
doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S484947. eCollection 2025.

Overall Survival of Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Following the Introduction of Targeted and Immunotherapies: A Norwegian Retrospective, Real-World Registry Data Study (RECON3)

Katarina Puco  1 , Cathrine S Notland  2 , Robert Szulkin  3   4 , Christian Jonasson  5 , Christian Beisland  6   7 , Tom B Johannesen  8 , Oddvar Solli  9 , Jan Oldenburg  10   11 , Daniel Heinrich  12
Affiliations

Overall Survival of Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Following the Introduction of Targeted and Immunotherapies: A Norwegian Retrospective, Real-World Registry Data Study (RECON3)

Katarina Puco et al. Cancer Manag Res. .

Abstract

Purpose: In Norway, 5-year survival rates of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are increasing. The objective of this study was to describe the survival of real-world patients with metastatic RCC (mRCC) across Norway and to identify associated factors. The results may provide additional information on the benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in clinical practice.

Patients and methods: We performed a longitudinal, retrospective, non-interventional cohort study using data from four national registries. The study included adults diagnosed with mRCC between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2018. Primary endpoint was to evaluate overall survival (OS) in all included patients. Secondary endpoints included further analysis of treatment patterns and possible impact on OS. Secondary endpoint analysis was performed in patients diagnosed with mRCC between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2018, as complete data on systemic therapies were available from 2008 and onwards.

Results: In total, 4078 patients were diagnosed with mRCC in the period from 1995 to 2018. The median OS since initial mRCC diagnosis was 1.17 years. OS appeared to improve over time, 5-year OS was 10% in patients diagnosed in the period 1995-2001 compared to 25% in 2012-2015. The secondary analysis included 2338 patients. Fifty-five percent (55%) of the patients received systemic treatment. No differences were observed in the number of treatment lines administered over time or in the number of lines of treatment administered according to tumor histology. Among 343 patients who received ≥3 treatment lines, we observed longer OS in patients who received an ICI as a part of their treatment, with a median OS of 4.51 compared to 2.31 years.

Conclusion: Provision of information into registries is mandatory in Norway. This retrospective, registry-based study provides real-world evidence on patient outcomes and treatments of the Norwegian patients with mRCC in the period from 1995 to 2018.

Keywords: Norway; immunotherapy; molecular targeted therapy; real-world data; renal cell carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Katarina Puco reports receipt of honoraria for advisory board participation from Astellas, MSD, Bayer, Pfizer; honoraria for speaker services from Astellas, Ipsen, Janssen-Cilag, AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Bayer; reimbursement of travel/meeting expenses from Pfizer and Ipsen; funding to institution for clinical trial participation from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Debiopharm, Eisai, Incyte, MSD, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Roche. Cathrine S Notland is an employee of Pfizer AS. Robert Szulkin is employed by SDS Life Science and received payment from Pfizer as a statistical consultant in this project. Christian Jonasson was a paid consultant to Pfizer in connection with the development of the study protocol and the data acquisition process. Christian Beisland reports receipt of honoraria for advisory board participation from Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and has received reimbursement of travel/meeting expenses from the Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) during the project period. Tom B Johannesen has no conflicts of interest to disclose. Oddvar Solli is an employee of Pfizer AS. Jan Oldenburg reports receipt of honoraria for advisory board participation for Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), Pfizer, Roche, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Ipsen and Janssen-Cilag; and has undertaken institutional research as coordinating project lead for BMS, MSD and Sanofi. Daniel Heinrich reports receipt of honoraria for advisory board participation for Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, EISAI, IPSEN, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Organon, Pfizer and Roche; honoraria for speaker services from AAA – a Novartis company, Astellas, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Dagens Medisin, EUSA Pharma, Ferring, Ipsen, Janssen-Cilag, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), Novartis, Norwegian Medicines Agency; funding to institution for clinical trial participation from AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, EISAI, Janssen-Cilag, MSD, Pfizer and Roche.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overall survival of patients with mRCC, stratified by year of diagnosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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