Lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: experience of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Background. Lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination showed statistically significant and clinically important improvements for progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and objective response rate compared to sunitinib.Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in clinical practice at the Republican Clinical Oncological Dispensary (Ufa).Materials and methods. The study included 24 patients (20 men and 4 women) with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Patients with ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) score 0–3, any Karnofsky scale status, and no detection of PD-L1 expression in the tumor were included. Follow-up period was 24 months.Results. Objective response rate was 68 % which is consistent with the CLEAR trial value of 72 %. Six-month PFS was 82 %, 12-month PFS was 70 %; 6-month OS was 91.2 %, 12-month OS was 83.4 %. Median PFS and OS were not reached. There were no new safety signals for the lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination. Grade III adverse events were arterial hypertension and hepatotoxicity.Conclusion. In real clinical practice, lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination showed results consistent with the data of the basic clinical trial despite short follow-up and expanded inclusion criteria.