RATIONALE: Sunitinib malate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth or by blocking blood flow to the tumor. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well sunitinib malate it works in treating patients with previously untreated metastatic kidney cancer.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the feasibility of intermittent sunitinib therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the clinical outcome (response rate and overall progression-free survival) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated with intermittent sunitinib therapy. II. To evaluate the toxicity of intermittent sunitinib therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. III. To assess the feasibility of detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in RCC patients and investigate the association between the VEGF -634 genotype and the occurrence of hypertension in sunitinib-treated RCC patients. OUTLINE: Patients receive oral sunitinib malate once daily on days 1-28. Sunitinib dosing schedule may be changed to 14 days on followed by 7 days off, and repeated for a 6-week cycle, at the discretion of the treating physician for toxicity purposes. Cycles will be defined as 6 week intervals regardless of dosing interruptions. All patients will be treated for 4 cycles in the absence of unacceptable toxicity or RECIST-defined progressive disease.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
37
Given orally
Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Feasibility as Assessed by Proportion of Patients Eligible for Intermittent Therapy Who Actually Receive it
Treatment repeats every 42 days for at least 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Time frame: after 6 months of treatment (4 cycles)
Change in Circulating Tumor Cells
Time frame: Pre-treatment, day 1, and day 28 of every cycle
Relationship Between Hypertension and Germline VEGF Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) -634 Genotype
Time frame: Day 28 of each cycle
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