Dr. Vogelzang Discusses First-Line Axitinib in mRCC

Nicholas J. Vogelzang, MD, member of the US Oncology Network, site research leader for Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, professor of medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, discusses the comparison of axitinib to sorafenib as first-line therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

There was a clear advantage for axitinib over sorafenib in nephrectomized patients with ECOG performance status (PS) of 0, Vogelzang states. However, in patients with PS1 and PS2 the two drugs were similar, causing the overall stratified findings to not be statistically significant.

This discrepancy may partially be explained by the demographics of the trial, Vogelzang believes. Overall, a majority of patients were enrolled outside of the United States. In these countries, treatment options are limited and many patients may not have received secondary options, which could have diluted the benefits of axitinib.