Background Different tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been used in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), however there is little clinical evidence on which scheme is the best therapeutic alternative.

Purpose To analyse the effectiveness of axitinib in the treatment of mRCC according to the therapeutic regimen previously received.

Materials and methods Retrospective observational study completed in 2013. All patients with mRCC in treatment with axitinib were included. Variables were: demographics (age, sex), clinical status (stage, reason for stopping treatment) and effectiveness (progression-free survival PFS and overall survival OS). Information sources used were electronic medical records and prescribing history from which sociodemographic, clinical and effectiveness variables were obtained.

Results 15 patients were included with an average age of 68 (60% men, 40% women). The reason for stopping treatment was disease progression in 40% of patients and in 6.67% was death. 53.33% are continuing treatment. 40% and 13.33% patients received axitinib in second-line treatment after failure with sunitinib and pazopanib respectively. The remaining 46.67% patients received axitinib for third-line treatment after failure with cytokines and another previous TKI.

Median PFS was 9.1 months for the group of patients who received axitinib as second-line treatment after failure with sunitinib. Median OS could not be obtained because none of the patients had died at the end of the study. Median PFS and OS were 3.63 months for patients who received axitinib as second-line treatment after failure with pazopanib. Median PFS and OS were 3.5 and 5.5 months respectively for patients who received axitinib as third-line treatment after failure with cytokines and another previous TKI.

Conclusions Axitinib was used starting from second-line treatment. PFS in patients pre-treated with sunitinib was higher than in patients pre-treated with sorafenib or with cytokines and TKIs. This conclusion should be confirmed with further studies that include more patients.

No conflict of interest.