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Experience with sorafenib and the elderly patient

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Abstract

Renal cell carcinoma primarily affects older individuals. Approximately half of all new renal cell carcinoma diagnoses are made in persons 65 years of age or older. Devising a treatment plan for the elderly patient population requires special consideration. Age-related physiological, cognitive, and social characteristics of elderly patients may influence each stage of patient care. Until recently, treatment options were limited for elderly patients with renal cell carcinoma. Sorafenib is the first multikinase inhibitor approved for use in renal cell carcinoma in the United States and Europe. In the phase III Treatment Approaches in Renal Cell Cancer Global Evaluation Trial, sorafenib significantly extended progression-free survival in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, regardless of age. Incidence rates of adverse events were not significantly higher in elderly patients receiving sorafenib than in younger patients. Thus, sorafenib represents an important treatment option for elderly patients with renal cell carcinoma. This report describes particular considerations for physicians to be aware of when choosing a treatment regimen for their elderly patients with renal cell carcinoma and offers recommendations on how to integrate specific management strategies into clinical practice that will optimize the use of sorafenib in the elderly. The strategies focus on patient selection, assessment of quality of life, management of adverse events, and appropriate dose modifications. The goal of these recommendations is to maximize the clinical benefit of sorafenib in the elderly patient population through appropriate use.

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Acknowledgments

The development of this article was supported by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. This article is based upon an expert panel discussion with the authors held on February 26, 2009, supported by Bayer HealthCare. Envision Communications, LLC, provided writing and editorial support in the development of this article, funded by Bayer HealthCare.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center-North Division/New York Medical College, 600 East 233rd Street, Bronx, NY, 10466, USA

    Janice P. Dutcher

  2. Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Nizar Tannir

  3. Department of Genitourinary and Gastrointestinal Tumor Oncology, Hospital Del Mar, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Joaquim Bellmunt

  4. Immunotherapy Unit, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94805, Paris, France

    Bernard Escudier

Authors
  1. Janice P. Dutcher
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  2. Nizar Tannir
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  3. Joaquim Bellmunt
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  4. Bernard Escudier
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janice P. Dutcher.

Appendix

Appendix

 

Disclosures/Conflicts of interest

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JB

BE

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Honoraria

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  1. aBayer HealthCare
  2. bBayer/Onyx
  3. cGenentech
  4. dNovartis
  5. ePfizer
  6. fRoche
  7. gWyeth

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Dutcher, J.P., Tannir, N., Bellmunt, J. et al. Experience with sorafenib and the elderly patient. Med Oncol 27, 1359–1370 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9388-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9388-4

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