Survival Comparison and Clinical Characteristics of Sunitinib and Pazopanib in the Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer, Single Center Real-Life Data

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: EK-1, 1 - 6, 20.10.2025

Mehmet Emin Büyükbayram , Zekeriya Hannarici , Aykut Turhan , Alperen Akansel Çağlar , Mehmet Bilici , Salim Başol Tekin

Abstract

Aim: Renal cell cancer (RCC) is a tumor with increasing incidence and high morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to compare the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), as well as the clinical and demographic characteristics, of patients diagnosed with metastatic RCC at our center who received treatment with either sunitinib or pazopanib.
Material and Methods: The study included 39 patients retrospectively. Clinical and demographic characteristics were extracted from patient records and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program version 25. Progression-free survival and OS were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves.
Results: Among the patients, 30 (76.9%) had clear cell pathology, and 33 (84.6%) had undergone surgery, while 6 (15.4%) were diagnosed through biopsy. First-line treatment with sunitinib was initiated in 28 patients (71.8%), whereas pazopanib was administered to 11 patients (28.2%). The median PFS was 25.8 months, and the median OS was 84.3 months for patients who underwent surgery. In patients diagnosed by biopsy, median PFS was 4.2 months, and median OS was 4.7 months. Progression-free survival (p=0.004) and OS (p<0.001) were longer and statistically significant in operated patients. Patients who received sunitinib as first-line treatment had a median PFS of 25.4 months and a median OS of 50.3 months. In comparison, patients treated with pazopanib in the first-line setting had a median PFS of 24.7 months and a median OS of 56.6 months. There was no statistical difference between sunitinib and pazopanib for both PFS (p=0.767) and OS (p=0.684).
Conclusion: PFS and OS were longer in operated RCC patients. There was no difference in PFS and OS between sunitinib and pazopanib in RCC patients first-line treatment.

Keywords

cancer , operation , overall survival

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