Impact of body mass index on the efficacy of immune combination therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a multicenter study in Japan.

BACKGROUND

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a major urologic malignancy worldwide, with obesity recognized as a known risk factor. Interestingly, a higher body mass index (BMI) has been associated with improved outcomes in immunotherapy, a phenomenon termed the "obesity paradox." This study investigates the influence of BMI on the effectiveness of immune combination therapies in Japanese patients with metastatic RCC.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted on 243 Japanese patients with metastatic RCC who received immune combination therapies between 2018 and 2022. Patients were stratified into two groups: non-overweight/obesity (BMI < 25 kg/m) and overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m). Survival outcomes, including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in PFS between the groups. However, the overweight/obesity group showed a trend toward longer OS, particularly in patients receiving IO-IO regimens (P = 0.011). In contrast, although no statistically significant difference was observed in the IO-TKI regimen, there was a trend toward prolonged OS in the non-overweight/obesity group. No significant differences in immune-related adverse events were observed between the groups.

CONCLUSION

Higher BMI may be associated with better outcomes in immune combination therapy, especially with IO-IO regimens. These findings suggest that BMI could be a useful factor in optimizing RCC treatment. Further research with larger cohorts is needed to confirm these results and understand the mechanisms behind the "obesity paradox."