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Abstract. Background: Sunitinib (SU011248; Sutentì) is a
new small molecule that inhibits members of the split-kinase
domain family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), with
established antitumor activity in renal cancer. In the current
report, we describe a patient with a solitary brain metastasis
from renal cell carcinoma who achieved partial response of
the cerebral lesion following treatment with sunitinib. To the
best of our knowledge, this is the first report of sunitinib
activity in brain metastases from kidney cancer. A limited
number of publications support the hypothesis that small
tyrosine kinase inhibitors may cross the blood-brain barrier.
Although the role of sunitinib in advanced renal carcinoma
has been evaluated through prospective trials, the efficacy of
the drug in patients with brain metastases has not been
explored, since patients with cerebral lesions were excluded in
those studies. Thus, we believe that accumulating evidence
from personal experience or limited reports could be useful.
Moreover, in our case, sunitinib was found to be safe, leading
to considerable shrinkage of the brain metastasis without any
serious adverse events or central nervous system toxicities. We
consider this observation to be important, given the absence
of data regarding the activity of the drug in this particular
clinical setting.
Case Report
A 40-year-old woman underwent nephrectomy for a
moderately differentiated, clear cell adenocarcinoma of the
left kidney in August 2004. The pathological stage of the
disease was II (T2N0M0). In February 2006, the patient
complained of numbness of the left upper limb, focal
seizures and headache. Computed tomography (CT) and
magnetic resonance imaging revealed a solitary mass in the
right parietal-occipital lobe. The patient underwent surgical
excision of the lesion which was histopathologically
confirmed to be a metastasis from clear cell renal cancer.
Postoperatively, evaluation with CT scan did not reveal
residual disease in the brain. Moreover, evidence of the
disease elsewhere in the body was not apparent.
Immunotherapy consisting of interferon alpha (10 mU 3 x
weekly) was started in March 2006. Five months later,
repetition of imaging procedures (CT scan) demonstrated
relapse of the disease in the brain, with a lesion located in the
right parietal-occipital lobe (maximum diameter 4 cm),
together with peritumoral edema (Figure 1). Again, CT scan
of the abdomen and the lungs was negative for local relapse
and other metastatic sites. The lesion was considered
inoperable and the patient started (August 2006) sunitinib
monotherapy at a dose of 50 mg orally once daily for 4 weeks,
followed by 2 weeks off, in repeated 6-week cycles. The
patient also received methylprednisolone at a dose of 16 mg
daily, which was progressively decreased until discontinuation,
during the following months. At that time, the patient was in
a good clinical condition (Eastern Cooperative Oncology
Group Performance Status=0, lactate dehydrogenase=145
U/L, haemoglobin=10.9 g/dL, corrected calcium=9 mg/dL
and alkaline phosphatase=63 U/L). The treatment was
tolerated fairly well without serious adverse events.
The patient developed grade 1 hypertension (according to
National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria, version
3.0) after the first cycle of the treatment, which was
successfully controlled with olmesartan. Other side-effects
included anemia grade 1 and hand-foot syndrome grade 1
(according to the above mentioned criteria). Evaluation of
the patient with CT scan after 2 cycles of treatment
(November 2006), revealed a reduction of the metastatic
lesion (maximum diameter 3.2 cm), together with significant
resolution of the associated edema (Figure 2). Given the
response of the disease and the lack of considerable toxicity,
treatment was continued at the same dose. Re-evaluation of
the patient after the completion of the fifth cycle (March
2007) demonstrated further reduction of the lesion
(maximum diameter 2 cm), without any signs of disease
elsewhere (Figure 3). The patient remains on treatment
with sunitinib at the same dosage, without clinical or
radiographic evidence of disease progression.
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Correspondence to: H.P. Kalofonos, Division of Oncology,
Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical
School, Rion 26504, Greece. Tel: +30 2610999535, Fax: +30
2610994645, e-mail: kalofon@med.upatras.gr
Key Words: Sunitinib, renal cell cancer, brain metastases.
ANTICANCER RESEARCH 27: 4255-4258 (2007)
Brain Metastasis in Renal Cell Cancer Responding to Sunitinib
ANGELOS K. KOUTRAS, DIMITRIOS KRIKELIS, NATASSA ALEXANDROU,
IOANNIS STARAKIS and HARALABOS P. KALOFONOS
Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, Rion 26504, Greece
0250-7005/2007 $2.00+.40
Discussion
Sunitinib (SU011248; Sutentì) is a new, orally administered,
small molecule that inhibits members of the split-kinase
domain family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs),
including the vascular endothelial growth factor receptors
(VEGFRs) types 1 and 2, platelet-derived growth factor
receptors (PDGFR-· and PDGFR-‚), the stem cell factor
receptor c-KIT, the FLT3 and RET kinases (1). Sunitinib
exhibits potent antiangiogenic and antitumor activity.
Considerable clinical activity has been demonstrated in
patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (2-4).
Brain metastases are not a rare occurrence in patients
with kidney cancer (5). Whole-brain radiotherapy is the
standard treatment, although generally, renal tumors are
relatively radioresistant and more aggressive approaches
such as surgery or radiosurgery are indicated only in a
subset of patients. In the current report, we describe a
patient with a solitary brain metastasis from renal cell
carcinoma who achieved partial response of the cerebral
lesion, following treatment with sunitinib. To the best of
our knowledge, this is the first report of sunitinib activity
in brain metastases from kidney cancer. It is noteworthy
that our patient continued to respond further, seven
months after the initiation of the treatment, as was
demonstrated by CT scan in March 2007. It is also
interesting that seizures or other central nervous system
(CNS) toxicities were not observed during the treatment,
although prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy was not
administered.
A limited number of publications support the hypothesis
that small tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may cross the
blood-brain barrier. Gefitinib, an oral selective epidermal
growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor,
has shown activity in brain metastases from non-small cell
lung cancer (NSCLC) (6-8). Responses have also been
reported with erlotinib, another EGFR tyrosine kinase
ANTICANCER RESEARCH 27: 4255-4258 (2007)
4256
Figure 1. CT scan of the brain before the administration of sunitinib.
Figure 2. CT scan of the brain after 2 cycles of treatment with sunitinib.
Figure 3. CT scan of the brain after 5 cycles of treatment with sunitinib.
inhibitor, in patients with intracranial lesions from NSCLC
(9, 10). Lapatinib, another small molecule, is a dual
reversible inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of EGFR
and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). In
a randomized study comparing lapatinib plus capecitabine
versus capecitabine in patients with HER-2 positive
refractory advanced breast cancer, the authors reported an
advantage of the combination in terms of less CNS
progression (11). That observation suggests that the low
molecular weight TKIs may penetrate the blood-brain
barrier and may be useful in the management of patients
with brain metastases.
Although the role of sunitinib in advanced renal
carcinoma has been evaluated through prospective trials,
the efficacy of the drug in patients with brain metastases has
not been explored, since patients with cerebral lesions were
excluded in those studies (2-4). We acknowledge that trials
designed to address prospectively the feasibility of sunitinib
in these patients are difficult to conduct and hence,
accumulating evidence from personal experience or limited
reports could be useful. It might also be useful to consider
the randomized study comparing sunitinib to interferon
alpha in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (4), and assess the
proportion of patients per arm who developed progression
of the disease in the brain to identify whether there is an
advantage favoring sunitinib use.
Initial experience with sunitinib suggested a mild and
manageable adverse event profile. However, it has become
clear with additional experience that antiangiogenic agents
are associated with a distinct array of toxicities, such as
hemorrhage. Further investigation is warranted to determine
risk factors for the development of hemorrhagic events with
such agents. Hemorrhagic complications, some of them fatal,
have rarely been observed in patients receiving sunitinib for
gastrointestinal stromal tumors or squamous cell lung
carcinomas. Undoubtedly, there is a concern related to the
safety of antiangiogenic factors in patients with CNS lesions.
On the other hand, prognosis of patients with brain
metastases from renal cell carcinoma is usually dismal, since
no effective treatments are currently available. Thus,
sunitinib could be a potentially active therapeutic option in
certain patients.
In conclusion, sunitinib was found to be effective and
safe, leading to considerable shrinkage of brain metastasis
without any serious adverse events. Our case highlights the
potential of sunitinib in patients with CNS metastases from
renal cell carcinoma. We consider this observation to be
important, given the absence of data regarding the activity
of the drug in this particular clinical setting.
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Received July 12, 2007
Revised October 16, 2007
Accepted October 22, 2007
Koutras et al: Sunitinib for Brain Metastases in Renal Cell Cancer
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