Quality of life in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: assessment of long-term survivors.

backgroundAn emerging literature describes the potential for long-term survival with targeted agents, but the health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in patients who receive chronic therapy with these agents is poorly defined.

methodsFrom an institutional database including 562 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), patients were identified who (1) were alive 3 years beyond initiation of systemic therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and (2) received a targeted therapy as a component of their treatment. European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 36 (QLQ-C30) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-15) questionnaires were administered by telephone survey. Data from questionnaires were compared with historical estimates derived from pivotal studies evaluating targeted agents.

resultsA total of 38 patients met eligibility criteria for the study, and 28 patients participated in the telephone survey. Most were male patients and had clear cell histologic type (75% for both). All patients had either good- or intermediate-risk disease by Heng criteria. The mean QLQ-C30 Global QOL score in the present cohort was higher than the mean score among patients evaluated at baseline in the phase III evaluations of pazopanib (73.5 vs. 65.8; P = .07) and everolimus (73.5 vs. 61.0; P = .007). The FKSI-15 score in the present cohort was similar to the mean score among patients evaluated at baseline in the phase III evaluation of sunitinib (45.1 and 46.5, respectively; P = .41).

conclusionIn this small pilot study, long-term survivors with mRCC who received targeted therapies appear to have an HR-QOL comparable to that of patients who participated in relevant phase III studies. Given the many emerging treatment options for mRCC, the HR-QOL of long-term survivors warrants greater attention.