Evaluation of the Meet-URO Score in a Real-World Cohort of mRCC Patients Treated with First-Line TKIs
<b>Background:</b> The Meet-URO score combines the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) criteria with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and bone metastasis status. Although developed in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) cohorts, its performance among patients receiving first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy is uncertain. <b>Methods:</b> We performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of 301 adults with histologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with first-line TKI monotherapy (sunitinib, pazopanib, or cabozantinib) between 2008 and 2025 across five tertiary centers in Turkey. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Meet-URO was calculated at treatment start and analyzed as prespecified risk strata (0-4, 5-8, 9). Kaplan-Meier estimates, Cox models, and Harrell's C-index assessed discrimination, with bootstrapped 95% CIs. <b>Results:</b> Median follow-up was 40 months; median OS (mOS) was 25 months (95% CI, 21-29) and median progression-free survival was 10 months (95% CI, 8-12). Meet-URO stratified OS: 41 months for scores 0-4, 21 months for 5-8, and 7 months for 9 (log-rank <i>p</i> < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, Meet-URO remained independently prognostic (HR 1.73 for 5-8 vs. 0-4; HR 3.57 for 9 vs. 0-4; both <i>p</i> < 0.001). Discrimination was modest (C-index 0.722) and slightly lower than IMDC (C-index 0.745). NLR ≥ 3.2 was associated with inferior OS (19 vs. 37 months; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Bone metastasis was not significantly associated with OS (<i>p</i> = 0.27). <b>Conclusions:</b> Meet-URO is a valid prognostic tool for mRCC patients treated with first-line TKIs and identifies an ultra-high-risk subgroup (score = 9) with poor survival. While not superior to IMDC, Meet-URO may offer complementary risk information to support clinical monitoring and trial referral, particularly in settings where ICI combinations are restricted.
Authors
- Hüseyin Salih Semiz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7083-8517)
- Faruk Recep Özalp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2863-3243)
- Oktay Halit Aktepe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3540-0701)
- Mustafa Erman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5884-4669)
- Ferhat Ekinci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9317-942X)
- Şuayib Yalçın (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7850-6798)
- İsmail Oğuz Kara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4963-2028)
- Ahmet Melih Arslan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6126-4611)
- Sedat Biter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1053-0668)
- Aziz Karaoğlu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5500-156X)
- Mehmet Çakmak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5362-6109)
- Ece Şahin Hafızoğlu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7753-1482)
- Rezan Berkay İzgör (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9046-1772)
Institutions
- Manisa Celal Bayar University (TR)
- Bilkent University (TR)
- Dokuz Eylül University (TR)
- Cukurova University (TR)
- Hacettepe University (TR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Published
- 2025-09-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14186385
- Primary Topic
- Renal cell carcinoma treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00