title: Sunitinib relieves renal cell carcinoma spinal cord compression.
abstract: A 66-year-old previously healthy female was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastic to the 4th, 6th and 12th thoracic vertebrae. Despite external beam radiotheraphy (20G in 5 fractions), she progressed to spinal cord compression within 4 weeks and was wheelchair bound. Radiation and surgery were not considered suitable, but sunitinib was initiated. After two 6-week sunitinib cycles, she is fully ambulatory. She reports grade I fatigue and occasional epistaxis, as sole side effects. This case demonstrates that despite the rapid progression of the disease, which escaped the effect of radiation within four weeks, sunitinib resulted in complete clinical symptom resolution, which was confirmed radiographically. Moreover, it appears that the novel therapies for metastatic RCC may restore quality and quantity of life to many of those, whose disease previously appeared too advanced to treat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Division of Urologic Oncology University of Montreal Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Quoc-Dien
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cardinal
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallina
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perrotte
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Pierre I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Karakiewicz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D000077210:Sunitinib
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007211:Indoles; D011758:Pyrroles; D000077210:Sunitinib