Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment patterns in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

The coronavirus pandemic has provoked discussions among healthcare providers how to manage cancer patients when faced with the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) containing regimens are standard of care in the majority of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) patients. It remains unclear whether therapies should be modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed an online survey among physicians involved in the treatment of mccRCC, and 41 experts responded. Questions focused on criteria relevant for treatment decision outside the pandemic and the modifications of systemic therapy during COVID-19. For the majority of experts (73%), the combination of International metastatic renal cell carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk category and patient fitness are two important factors for decision-making. The main treatment choice in fit, favourable risk patients outside the pandemic is pembrolizumab/axitinib for 53%, avelumab/axitinib, sunitinib or pazopanib for 13% of experts each. During the pandemic, ICI-containing regimens are chosen less often in favour of a tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) monotherapy, mainly sunitinib or pazopanib (35%).In fit, intermediate/poor-risk patients outside the pandemic, over 80% of experts choose ipilimumab/nivolumab, in contrast to only 41% of physicians during COVID-19, instead more TKI monotherapies are given. In patients responding to established therapies with ICI/ICI or ICI/TKI combinations, most participants modify treatment regimen by extending cycle length, holding one ICI or even both. mccRCC treatment modifications in light of the coronavirus pandemic are variable, with a shift from ICI/ICI to ICI/TKI or TKI monotherapy.

© Author (s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. Published by BMJ on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology.

Competing interests: SA: MSD (C/A), Sanofi-Genzyme (C/A) recipient: my institution. TE: Personal: AstraZeneca (RF, E, OI), Bayer (RF), Pfizer (RF), Roche (E, OI); Institution: AstraZeneca (RF), Roche (RF). BE: Pfizer (C/A), BMS (C/A), Ipsen (C/A), Roche (C/A), Oncorena (C/A), Aveo (C/A). SF: Bayer (TS), Astellas (RF, TS). VG: Astra Zeneca (C/A, H, OI, RF), Bristol-Myers Squibb (C/A, H, OI, RF), Roche Pharma AG (C/A, H), MSD Oncology (C/A, H, OI, RF), Ipsen (C/A, H, RF), Bayer (H, RF), Merck Serono (C/A, H), Janssen Cliag (C/A, H), Pfizer (C/A, H), Lilly (C/A, H), PharmaMar (H), EUSAPharm (C/A, H), Novartis (C/A, H, RF), EISAI (H), Onkowissen (C/A). JML: Achilles Therapeutics (C/A, grant support), Bristol-Myers Squibb (C/A, grant support), Merck Sharp & Dohme (C/A, grant support), Nektar (C/A, grant support), Novartis (C/A, grant support), Pfizer (C/A, grant support), Roche–Genentech (C/A, grant support), Immunocore (C/A, grant support), AstraZeneca (C/A), Boston Biomedical (C/A), Eisai (C/A), EUSA Pharma (C/A), GlaxoSmithKline (C/A), Ipsen (C/A), Imugen (C/A), Incyte (C/A), iOnctura (C/A), Kymab (C/A), Merck Serono (C/A), Pierre Fabre (C/A), Secama (C/A), Vitaccess (C/A), Covance (C/A), Aveo (C/A), Pharmacyclics (C/A). DM: BMS (H, C/A), Pfizer (H, C/A), Merck (H, C/A), Alkermes, Inc. (H, C/A). AO: Personal: Astellas (TS), Bayer (TS), Sanofi (TS), Janssen (TS). Instituional: Astellas (C/A, SB), Bayer (C/A, SB), Sanofi (C/A), Roche (C/A), Janssen (C/A, RF, SB), MSD (C/A), Molecular Partners (C/A), Teva (RF). CP: Bristol-Myers Squibb (personal fees), Merck Sharpe & Dohme (personal fees), Novartis (personal fees), Ipsen (personal fees), EUSA (personal fees), Eisai (personal fees), Janssen (personal fees), AstraZeneca (personal fees), General Electric (personal fees), Pfizer (grants and personal fees). BR: Merck (C/A), BMS (C/A), AVEO (C/A), Pfizer (C/A), Roche(C/A), Pfizer (RF), Merck (RF), BMS (RF), AVEO (RF), Astra-Zeneca (RF), Roche (RF). MS: Pfizer, BMS, Ipsen, MSD, Merck, Exelixis, EISAI, EUSA, Roche, Novartis, Alkermes. CS: Pfizer (C/A), MSD (C/A), Merck (C/A), AstraZeneca (C/A), Astellas (C/A), Sanofi-Genzyme (C/A), Roche-Genentech (C/A), Incyte (C/A). CR: Pfizer (C/A), Bristol-Myers Squibb (C/A), Roche Pharma AG (C/A), MSD Oncology (C/A), Merck (Schweiz) AG (C/A) recipient for all: my institution. Astellas Pharma (RF) recipient: my institution. Legend: (C/A) Consulting/advisory relationship; (RF) Research funding; (E) Employment; (ET) Expert testimony; (H) Honoraria received; (TS) Travel Support; (OI) Ownership interests; (IP) Intellectual property rights/inventor/patent holder; (SAB) Scientific advisory board, Speaker Bureau (SB).