Early ultrasonographic evaluation of tumor thrombus level during sunitinib therapy for renal cell carcinoma.
A 72-year-old man presenting with a 14-cm left renal mass, an inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus, and pulmonary metastases underwent renal mass biopsy that revealed clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Because of metastases and the extent of the tumor thrombus, sunitinib was administered, which resulted in a marked reduction in the tumor thrombus (from level III to level II after 11 weeks of treatment). Ultrasonography, preceding computed tomography, showed a slight shrinkage of the tumor thrombus level in the first 2 weeks. Therefore, ultrasound may be advantageous to monitor the IVC tumor thrombus level during the early phase of targeted therapy.
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan. snfts7974@gmail.com.
Futoshi
F
Sano
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Syusei
S
Fusayasu
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Shinji
S
Otake
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Hiroyuki
H
Yamanaka
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Tomoyuki
T
Tatenuma
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Ryoko
R
Sakata
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Kazuhide
K
Makiyama
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Noboru
N
Nakaigawa
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Masahiro
M
Yao
Department of Urology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Yoshinobu
Y
Kubota
Molecular targeted therapy; Renal cell carcinoma; Tumor thrombus; Ultrasonography