Effect of Proteinuria Before Lenvatinib Administration on Treatment Response After Atezolizumab Bevacizumab...

We investigated the impact of proteinuria on the therapeutic effect before lenvatinib administration as second-line treatment after atezolizumab-bevacizumab.

We examined 64 patients who were administered lenvatinib as second-line treatment after discontinuation of atezolizumab and bevacizumab. Proteinuria assessed before lenvatinib administration was considered severe if the qualitative value test (QV) was 3+ or the urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) was ≥ 2.0 (group A, n = 13) and non-severe if the UPCR was < 2.0 or the QV was ≤ 2+ (group B, n = 51).

In the entire cohort, the modified albumin-bilirubin grades were grades 1, 2a, 2b, and 3 in 12, 21, 26, and 5 patients, respectively. Regarding the Barcelona Clinic of Liver Cancer stage, 2, 22, and 40 patients had stages A, B, and C, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) was 14.0% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 59.3%. The median survival time and progression free survival after administration of lenvatinib was 14.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.3-18.4) and 5.5 (95% CI, 3.6-7.5) months, respectively. The ORR and DCR were 0% and 38.4% for group A (n = 13) and 17.6% and 64.7% for group B (n = 51), respectively. The median time to treatment failure was 2.2 months in group A and 4.2 months in group B (p = 0.120).

Severe proteinuria before lenvatinib as a second-line therapy after atezolizumab-bevacizumab treatment may affect the duration of lenvatinib administration and treatment efficacy.