The Impact of Age and Gender on Outcomes of Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated With Targeted Therapy

A growing body of evidence suggests that age and gender play a role in cancer outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of age and gender on survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).We conducted a pooled analysis of patients with metastatic RCC treated on phase II and III clinical trials. Patients were stratified by age (young [<50 years], intermediate [50-70 years], versus elderly [>70 years]) and gender. Statistical analyses were performed using Cox regression adjusted for several risk factors and the Kaplan-Meier method.We identified 4736 patients with metastatic RCC. Overall, there was no difference in overall survival (OS) when stratified by age (21.0 vs. 17.3 months for elderly vs. intermediate age groups, P = .382; 20.0 vs. 17.3 months for young vs. intermediate age groups, P = .155) or gender (19.8 vs. 19.0 for male vs. female, P = .510). Progression-free survival (PFS) was shorter in younger individuals compared with the intermediate age patients (6.0 vs. 7.1 months, P < .001), but similar across gender groups. Although all grade adverse events were more common in elderly patients (fatigue, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and weight), serious adverse events were similar between groups.Although OS was similar between age groups, younger individuals had a shorter PFS. Gender was not an independent determinant of survival. Elderly patients experienced more adverse events than their younger counterparts. These findings are important to guide clinicians when counseling patients about expectations and toxicity associated with therapy.