Trends of Metastasis-Directed Treatments in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Total Population-Based Analysis in Germany in the Era of Targeted Therapies

INTRODUCTION: We characterize trends of metastasis-directed treatments in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in Germany in the targeted therapy era.

METHODS: We identified all cases with a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (ICD-10: C.64) and site-specific codes for secondary malignant neoplasms (C79.x) in combination with procedural codes for resection and radiation from the Institute of Hospital Remuneration and the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) between 2006 and 2014. We assessed site-specific temporal trends using estimated annual percent change (EAPC) linear regression.

RESULTS: Overall, 15,742 resections and 21,224 radiation treatments were recorded. These targeted lung (44.1% resections; 22.0% radiations), lymph node (14.0% resections; 12% radiations), bone (21% resections; 38% radiations), liver (9% resections; 7% radiations), adrenal (11% resections; 3% radiations), and CNS metastases (2% resections; 19% radiations). There was a significantly increasing trend for resection of lung (EAPC +1.33, p = 0.011), bone (EAPC +2.48, p = 0.014), and adrenal (EAPC +3.4, p = 0.003) metastases, while trends for resection of CNS metastases significantly decreased (EAPC -7.93, p = 0.005). Between Western and Eastern Germany linear trends of resection (EAPC +2.75, p < 0.001; EAPC -0.44, p = 0.54) and radiation (EAPC +1.08, p = 0.15; -3.41, p = 0.03) differed significantly.

CONCLUSION: We observed an increasing trend for metastasis-directed resections and slightly declining numbers for radiation therapy in Germany for mRCC in the targeted therapy era. Treatment differed by geography. These findings suggest more aggressive treatment algorithms following the availability of targeted therapies and a yet diverging treatment landscape needing further exploration.