Department of Urology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. alexanderstillebroer@hotmail.com
Sep, 2013
Patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have a dismal prognosis. Therefore, new and less toxic treatments are needed.We determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and potential therapeutic efficacy of multiple infusions of lutetium 177 ((177)Lu)-girentuximab (cG250) on various dose levels in a phase 1 trial in patients with progressive metastasized ccRCC.In this uncontrolled case series in 23 patients with progressive ccRCC metastases, cG250 accumulation was verified by diagnostic indium 111-cG250 imaging. Patients then received a high-activity dose of (177)Lu-cG250.Groups of three patients received (177)Lu-cG250, starting at a dose level of 1110 MBq/m(2)(177)Lu-cG250, with dose increments of 370 MBq/m(2) per group. In the absence of persistent toxicity, progressive disease, and accelerated blood clearance, patients were eligible for retreatment after 3 mo with 75\% of the previous activity dose. Patients could receive a total of three treatment cycles.Determination of the MTD was the primary and therapeutic efficacy was the secondary outcome measurement of the study.The MTD was 2405 MBq/m(2) because higher doses resulted in dose-limiting myelotoxicity. Some patients received second (13 of 23 [56\%]) and third (4 of 23 [17\%]) treatment cycles. Most patients (17 of 23 [74\%]) demonstrated stable disease 3 mo after the first treatment, and one patient showed a partial response that lasted for 9 mo. Mean growth of target tumor lesions was reduced from 40.4\% (95\% confidence interval [CI], ± 17.0) during the last 3 mo before study entry to 5.5\% (95\% CI, ± 5.3; p<0.001) at 3 mo after the first treatment cycle. No major nonhematologic side effects were observed.(177)Lu-cG250 radioimmunotherapy in metastatic ccRCC patients is well tolerated at an activity dose level as high as 2405 MBq/m(2) (MTD). Radioimmunotherapy with (177)Lu-cG250 may stabilize previously progressive metastatic ccRCC.