Efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus sunitinib in first-line treatment of patients with advanced sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma

Nizar M. Tannir, Sabina Signoretti, Toni K. Choueiri, David F. McDermott, Robert J. Motzer, Abdallah Flaifel, Jean Christophe Pignon, Miriam Ficial, Osvaldo Aren Frontera, Saby George, Thomas Powles, Frede Donskov, Michael R. Harrison, Philippe Barthel Emy, Scott S. Tykodi, Judit Kocsis, Alain Ravaud, Jeronimo R. Rodriguez-Cid, Sumanta K. Pal, Andre M. MuradYuko Ishii, Shruti Shally Saggi, M. Brent McHenry, Brian I. Rini

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

143 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid features (sRCC) have poor prognoses and suboptimal outcomes with targeted therapy. This post hoc analysis of the phase III CheckMate 214 trial analyzed the efficacy of nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVOþIPI) versus sunitinib in patients with sRCC. Patients and Methods: Patients with sRCC were identified via independent central pathology review of archival tumor tissue or histologic classification per local pathology report. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive nivolumab (3 mg/kg) plus ipilimumab (1 mg/kg) every 3 weeks (four doses) then nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks, or sunitinib 50 mg orally every day (4 weeks; 6-week cycles). Outcomes in patients with sRCC were not prespecified. Endpoints in patients with sRCC and International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium intermediate/poor-risk disease included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) per independent radiology review, and objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.1. Safety outcomes used descriptive statistics. Results: Of 1,096 randomized patients in CheckMate 214, 139 patients with sRCC and intermediate/poor-risk disease and six with favorable-risk disease were identified. With 42 months' minimum follow-up in patients with sRCC and intermediate/poor-risk disease, median OS [95% confidence interval (CI)] favored NIVOþIPI [not reached (NR) (25.2-not estimable [NE]); n ¼ 74] versus sunitinib [14.2 months (9.3–22.9); n ¼ 65; HR, 0.45 (95% CI, 0.3–0.7; P ¼ 0.0004)]; PFS benefits with NIVOþIPI were similarly observed [median 26.5 vs. 5.1 months; HR, 0.54 (95% CI, 0.33–0.86; P ¼ 0.0093)]. Confirmed ORR was 60.8% with NIVOþIPI versus 23.1% with sunitinib, with complete response rates of 18.9% versus 3.1%, respectively. No new safety signals emerged. Conclusions: NIVOþIPI showed unprecedented long-term survival, response, and complete response benefits versus sunitinib in previously untreated patients with sRCC and intermediate/poor-risk disease, supporting the use of first-line NIVOþIPI for this population. See related commentary by Hwang et al., p.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)78-86
Number of pages9
JournalClinical Cancer Research
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

MD Anderson CCSG core facilities

  • Clinical Trials Office

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