Novel therapeutic targets in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Results of the treatment with single-agent bevacizumab in a single institution

Along the past decade a number of new agents have been developed showing promising results in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We describe our experience with the use of bevacizumab in monotherapy in the Urology and Medical Oncology departments of our institution. A consecutive series of patients treated with Bevacizumab 10 mg/Kg every 14 days between January 2006 and January 2008 has been assessed. Data concerning the type of surgery, histological subtype, tumor stage, Motzer's risk group, metastatic sites number of bevacizumab courses given, time to progression and overall survival were collected. 25 patients (16 male, 9 female) were analyzed. Median age was 59 years. Nineteen of them (75%) had prior surgery: radical nephrectomy 14, cytoreductive 4 y tumorectomy 1). Clear cell carcinoma was the most frequent subtype (22 patients). According to Motzer's prognostic index 14 had good prognosis, 8 intermediate and 3 poor prognosis. Median time to progression was 19 weeks. Overall median survival since metastatic disease was diagnosed 8,7 months. Bevacizumab offers, as single agent, modest activity in the metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The recently labeled use in combination with interferon as well as the newer targeted agents will improve the results of the treatment of this disease in the next future.