Experience with sunitinib in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Following approval of the oral, multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib malate for the treatment of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in Europe and the USA in 2006, the agent has had a substantial impact on the treatment landscape in this setting. Sunitinib is now recommended in international treatment guidelines for the first-line treatment of favourable- or intermediate-risk mRCC and as an alternative option in poor-risk mRCC. In the 6 years since the approval of sunitinib, the range of agents available for the treatment of mRCC has expanded substantially, and this, together with a number of additional therapies in late-stage development, has increased the treatment options available to patients. Results from a phase III trial and a global expanded access study have provided robust data to support the efficacy of sunitinib in mRCC, including in real-world populations. Data also suggest a significant quality of life benefit with sunitinib, with superior patient-reported outcomes observed with this agent compared with interferon-α therapy. Both clinical and real-world study data also support the safety profile of sunitinib; most treatment-associated adverse events are mild to moderate in severity and can be managed effectively with close monitoring and proactive management. Clinical experience with sunitinib has demonstrated that therapy management, involving optimal dosing, maximum treatment duration and prompt and effective adverse event management, supports optimal patient outcomes with sunitinib. In this review we discuss clinical experience with sunitinib in mRCC, with an emphasis on real-world data, and utilize clinical case studies to examine the successful implementation of therapy management strategies for optimal patient outcomes. An increasing body of evidence suggests that side effects associated with sunitinib therapy, including hypertension, hand-foot syndrome and hypothyroidism, may represent effective markers of treatment response, and these will also be discussed.