Management of cardiac adverse events occurring with sunitinib treatment.
BACKGROUND
Sunitinib malate is the reference standard of care for the first-line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Cardiovascular adverse events (AEs) have been observed with sunitinib treatment. Here, we present the case report of a 49-year-old male patient with mRCC in whom cardiac AEs experienced during sunitinib treatment were successfully managed. The patient was at poor prognostic risk, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 3.


RESULTS
The patient was treated with sunitinib 50 mg/day (4 weeks on treatment followed by 2 weeks off treatment; Schedule 4/2) following lung and bone metastases. Cardiac AEs occurred following sunitinib initiation. These events were resolved with cardiovascular co-medication. Sunitinib improved the patient's quality of life and performance status, with a prolonged duration of treatment of 24 months.


CONCLUSIONS
This case indicates that cardiac AEs should not be a barrier to the effective use of sunitinib in mRCC.
Schmidinger
Manuela
M
Medical University of Vienna, Department of Medicine I and Cancer Center, Clinical Division of Oncology, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. manuela.schmidinger@meduniwien.ac.at
Bojic
Andja
A
Vogl
Ursula M
UM
Lamm
Wolfgang
W
Zielinski
Christoph C
CC
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000077210:Sunitinib
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D007211:Indoles; D011758:Pyrroles; D000077210:Sunitinib