Treatment and Attrition Trends for Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in the US.

IMPORTANCE

The treatment landscape of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has rapidly evolved with the approval of multiple immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based combinations. However, clinical data on changes in treatment patterns and attrition before and after ICI-based combinations approval are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To assess treatment patterns and attrition rates in patients with metastatic ccRCC before and after the approval of ICI-based combinations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study used patient-level data from a nationwide deidentified electronic health record-derived database, originating from around 280 cancer clinics in the US. Patients diagnosed with metastatic ccRCC who received first-line therapy between January 1, 2011, and January 20, 2023, were included. Those treated for 2 or more malignant neoplasms or enrolled in clinical trials were excluded.

EXPOSURES

Line of therapy initiation before and after April 16, 2018.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Treatments received in each line of therapy and attrition rate were summarized using frequencies and percentages.

RESULTS

Of 12 707 patients with metastatic ccRCC within the database, 8534 were eligible and included (median [IQR] age, 66 [59-74] years; 6032 male [70.7%]; 629 Black [8.1%], 697 Hispanic [9.0%], 5493 White [71.0%]). Before April 16, 2018, the most common first-line therapy was tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy (3595 of 4561 patients [78.8%]). Following the approval of ICI-based combinations in 2018, most patients (2392 of 3973 patients [60.2%]) received ICI-based combinations as first-line therapy for metastatic ccRCC. TKI monotherapy remained the most common second- and third-line therapy in patients treated before and after April 16, 2018. Before 2018, 2639 patients (57.9%) and 1458 patients (31.9%) received second-line and third-line therapies, respectively, compared with 1494 (37.6%) and 562 (14.1%) after 2018.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study of 8534 patients with metastatic ccRCC, although ICI-based combinations are the preferred first-line therapy due to their proven superiority over TKI monotherapy, many patients were not receiving them; high attrition rates were observed in subsequent lines. These findings highlight the need to optimize treatment selection by implementing current guidelines in clinical practice.