Patient B is a 76-year-old white male who presented with microscopic hematuria in 1986 on a routine urinalysis and a diagnosis of left RCC was made by imaging. He then underwent nephrectomy for a 7 × 6 × 5.5 cm tumor extending though the fascia into the perinephric fat. He did well until March of 2006 when he had a routine chest X-ray that showed new lung nodules and a CT scan was ordered. A large retroperitoneal mass posterior to the stomach measuring 10 × 9 × 8 cm was also found along with bilateral lung nodules, with the largest lung lesion measuring 2 cm. Biopsy of the retroperitoneal mass confirmed RCC. MRI of the brain and bone scan was negative. He was seen for the first time at our institution in April of 2006. He was determined to be a candidate for high-dose IL-2 (600,000 IU/kg). After 8 weeks, he did show some response, but was only able to tolerate half of cycle 2 and he declined further IL-2. He was then started on sorafenib and had a minor response at all disease sites until CT scan in January 2007 after 24 weeks showed progression. He was then switched to sunitinib 50 mg daily for 4 weeks of a 6 weeks cycles, and after 12 weeks on therapy had a significant response which he enjoyed until week 54 when CT scanning showed marked disease progression. Sunitinib was discontinued and in January of 2008 he was started on temsirolimus 25 mg IV weekly. He required a 20% dose reduction for thrombocytopenia and oral ulcers. He remained on temsirolimus until April of 2008 when he developed symptomatic mTOR interstitial pneumonitis, so temsirolimus was discontinued. His disease continued to progress off therapy and in October of 2008, bevacizumab 10 mg/m2 given every 2 weeks was started as fifth line therapy. After 24 weeks of treatment the patient was found to have a pulmonary embolus. Lovenox was started and bevacizumab was continued without incident. At the time of submission, the patient's disease has remained stable after 72 weeks of bevacizumab. He has continued to work full time as a maintenance man.
Patient A was a 73-year-old white male who was diagnosed with RCC in 2000 and subsequently underwent a left radical nephrectomy. He went on to have multiple locoregional recurrences in the nephrectomy bed and in the lower pole of the right kidney. By January of 2007, he had involvement of the pancreatic tail and the left adrenal gland as well. He was evaluated at our medical center in March of 2007. He was restaged at that point and it was confirmed that he had no disease outside of the abdomen, so he was offered radical resection of his disease with curative intent by surgical oncology, but the patient declined. Therefore, he was started on sunitinib 50 mg daily for 4 weeks of a 6 week cycle, and an MRI in July 2007 showed decrease in the size of the tumor in the left renal bed and the pancreatic mass and right renal pole mass remained stable. Imaging after 24 weeks of sunitinib showed stable disease in known sites. His disease remained stable until imaging performed in April of 2008, after 36 weeks of treatment, showed clear enlargement of the renal fossa mass. The patient was then started on temsirolimus 25 mg IV weekly for second-line therapy. The patient had thrombocytopenia, worsening of lipid profile, and elevated blood glucose levels on temsirolimus that required a 20% dose reduction. After 12 weeks, CT scan showed pneumonitis consistent with mTOR inhibitor induced pneumonitis, a possible new lung metastasis, and progression of disease in the liver and renal fossa. Single agent bevacizumab 10 mg/m2 given every 2 weeks was started for third-line therapy and restaging every 3 months showed continued stable disease. The patient enjoyed 12 months of stable disease on single agent bevacizumab. It was stopped despite stable disease due to development of osteonecrosis of the jaw and patient request. The patient subsequently progressed rapidly and expired while off therapy.