title: The efficacy and tolerability of a sunitinib 3-week administration schedule in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients: report of three cases.
abstract: Sunitinib, an orally multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor and standard first-line treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, is usually administered on a 6-week schedule. Toxicities reported with this drug are usually of moderate grade, which results in good treatment tolerability and patients' compliance. However, in some cases high-grade or prolonged toxicities require temporary treatment interruption or dose adjustment, possibly resulting in reduced treatment efficacy. We describe three cases of metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients (a 53-year-old male, a 70-year-old woman, and a 65-year-old woman) who received a shortened 3-week sunitinib administration schedule, 2 weeks daily administration followed by 1 week of rest (2/1) due to toxicities developed on the classic 6-week schedule, which would have required a temporary treatment interruption or a dose reduction. Treatment was generally well tolerated with manageable toxicities. A 3-week administration schedule of sunitinib may represent a valid alternative for managing toxicity while maintaining the planned dose intensity over a 6-weeks period of time. Sunitinib may thus be administered using a flexible dosing schedule to meet individual patient needs, achieving better tolerability and maintaining significant response to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Centre of Experimental and Clinical Oncology, AOU-Careggi, Florence University, Florence, Italy. bruno.neri@unifi.it
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vannini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tassi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brugia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rangan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rediti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cerullo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077210:Sunitinib
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007211:Indoles; D011758:Pyrroles; D000077210:Sunitinib