Influence of access on survival of renal cancer in a Brazilian center.

Abstract

644 Background: The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and recently immunotherapy has brought major survival benefits for metastatic renal cancer (mRCC) patients (pts). In Brazil, there is no approved 2nd line treatment for mRCC in the Public Health System (PHS). Our center is unique, because it provides care for both PHS and Private System (PrS) population, enabling us to make the comparison of overall survival (OS) of these pts. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all mRCC pts treated with 1st line TKI at our service from 2007 to 2018. Categorial variables were compared by Fisher’s exact test and continuous by Mann–Whitney. Survival was estimated by Kaplan-Maier method, prognostic factors adjusted by Cox regression model. Results: 171 pts were eligible, 37 (21.6%) PHS and 134 (78.4%) PrS pts. Between the two groups, there was no differences in age, gender, number and sites of metastasis (mets). PHS pts had worst ECOG (≥2, in 35.1 vs 13.5%, p .007), a trend towards more poor IMDC risk (IMDC favorable 16.2 vs 26.6%, intermediate 51.4 vs 57%, poor 32.4 vs 16.4%, p.09), had less nephrectomies (73 vs 92.5%, p.008) and more non clear cell histology (32.4 vs 12.7%, p.01). Median lines of therapy were 1 for PHS vs 2 for PrS pts (p.03). Sunitinib was the 1st line agent for 91.9 vs 67.2%, and pazopanib 8.1 vs 29.9%, of the PHS and PrS pts, respectively. Median time from diagnosis of mets to treatment start was 2.29 vs 1.79 m (p.59). Median OS was 16.5 vs 26.5 m (p.0002) and progression free survival, 8.4 vs 11 m (p.01), for the PHS vs PrS. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for factors that were present before the beginning of treatment and were statistically significant for OS in the univariate model, PHS pts still had higher risk of death (HR 1.85, IC 95 1.2-2.9, p.01), probably due to having received fewer lines of therapy (≥2 lines of therapy vs 1, HR 0.51, IC95 0.4-0.7, p .001). Conclusions: Brazilian PHS pts had significant worse OS compared to PrS pts, in part due to less access to drugs. Access to cancer drugs is a challenge worldwide, and in Brazil effort has to be done to change this reality.