Clinical experience and critical evaluation of the role of sorafenib in renal cell carcinoma

Fable Zustovich1, Giuseppe Lombardi1, Davide Pastorelli1, Patrizia Farina1, Massimo Dal Bianco2, Luca De Zorzi2, Maurizia Dalla Palma1, Ornella Nicoletto1, Vittorina Zagonel11Oncologia Medica 1, Istituto Oncologico Veneto-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; 2UO Urologia, Ospedale Sant'Antonio, ULSS 16, Padova, ItalyAbstract: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common malignancy worldwide with approximately 95,000 new cases per year and ranks as the sixth cause of cancer deaths. Until recently, the slightly active and very toxic cytokines were available for patients with advanced RCC. Advances have been made in understanding the molecular biology of renal cancer. The introduction of targeted agents has led to promising possibilities for treating these highly vascularized tumors. Angiogenesis inhibition is likely to represent the main potential therapeutic target. Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor with activity against tyrosine kinase receptors that are responsible for blood vessel development and has shown to be active in treating advanced RCC. In this review, we summarize the pharmacology, mode of action, pharmacokinetics, and safety of sorafenib use in therapy for advanced RCC.Keywords: sorafenib, pharmacokinetics, angiogenesis