The efficacy and safety of vinflunine in second-line therapy of patients with disseminated transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract in clinical practice

Objective: to investigate the safety of vinflunine, the rate and duration of its treatment response, progression-free and overall survival rates in patients receiving this drug in routine clinical practice for first-line chemotherapy (CT) – resistant disseminated transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract.

Materials and methods. This retrospective observational multicenter study included data on 25 patients with verified disseminated transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract who took vinflunine for tumor progression after first-line CT performed in 11 Russian clinical centers in 23 March 2013 to 26 June 2016. The median age of the patients was 60 (44‒81) years. Their baseline somatic status was rated as ECOG 0 in 1 (4.0 %) patient, ECOG 1 in 13 (52.0 %) patients, EGOG 2 in 9 (36.0 %), and ECOG 3 in 2 (8.0 %). The most common sites of tumor foci were bones (n = 14, 56.0 %), lymph nodes of different groups (n = 14; 56.0 %), and lung (n = 9; 36.0 %).

Results. Adverse reactions were recorded in 24 (96.0 %) cases. The most common types of toxicity were asthenia (n = 19; 76.0 %), anemia (n = 18; 72.0 %), neutropenia (n = 13; 52 %), and nausea (n = 12; 48.0 %). Most adverse events were grades I–II and well controlled. There were no deaths due to adverse events. The best treatment response was regarded as partial in 6 (24.0 %) patients; stabilization and progression were observed in 10 (40.0 %) and 9 (36.0 %) patients, respectively. The median duration of partial response was 5.1 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.6–15.0) months; that of stabilization was 3.4 (95 % CI, 1.2–6.3) months. In all the 25 cases, the median progression-free and overall survival rates were 3.7 (95 % CI, 2.1‒5.3) and 6.5 (95 % CI, 5.2‒7.8) months, respectively. The somatic status was a predictor of overall survival (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion. The efficacy and safety of vinflunine in second-line therapy for first-line CT-resistant disseminated transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract in unselected patients agree with those previously observed in Phase III randomized trial.

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