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Safety and clinical efficacy of everolimus in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)

Authors Shahani, Kwan, Kapoor A

Published 28 June 2010 Volume 2010:2 Pages 85—91

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/DHPS.S6467

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Rohan Shahani, Kevin G Kwan, Anil Kapoor

Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Abstract: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most lethal genitourinary malignancies. Recently, there has been a paradigm shift in the management of advanced RCC. New targeted therapies including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors have been developed which have shown promising results in a patient population who otherwise had very few options for treatment. The first mTOR inhibitor, temsirolimus, an intravenous prodrug, has shown improved overall survival in poor prognosis patients. More recently, an oral mTOR inhibitor, everolimus (RAD 001), has been developed which has been shown to delay disease progression in patients with metastatic RCC who have progressed on other targeted therapies. Although a survival advantage in phase III trials is seen with everolimus, associated systemic toxicities, while generally well tolerated, are not insignificant. These include mucositis, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and pneumonitis. Despite the side effects, emerging evidence points to everolimus as the optimal second-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Keywords: metastatic renal cell carcinoma, everolimus, mTOR inhibitors, VEGF inhibitors

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