Contemporary vs historical survival rates in metastatic clear cell renal carcinoma according to race/ethnicity

PURPOSE: Systemic therapies (ST) improved contemporary survival rates, relative to historical in clear cell metastatic renal carcinoma (ccmRCC) patients. The magnitude of this improvement is unknown according to race/ethnicity.

METHODS: Within the SEER registry (2000-2017), ccmRCC patients were stratified according to race/ethnicity (Caucasian, Hispanic, African American, Asian) and historical (2000-2009) vs contemporary (2010-2017) years of diagnosis. Competing risks regression (CRR) with adjustment for other-cause mortality and Poisson smoothed cumulative incidence plots addressed cancer-specific mortality (CSM).

RESULTS: Of 10,141 mRCC patients, 4316 (43%) vs 5825 (57%) were diagnosed in historical vs contemporary era. Of 4316 historical patients, 3203 (74%) vs 593 (14%) vs 293 (7%) vs 227 (5%) were Caucasian, Hispanic, African American and Asian. Of 5825 contemporary patients, 4124 (71%) vs 977 (17%) vs 362 (6%) vs 362 (6%) were Caucasian, Hispanic, African American and Asian. Between 2000 and 2017, ST rates ranged from 12 to 57% in Caucasians, 2 to 57% in Hispanics, 33 to 50% in African Americans, 17 to 70% in Asians and universally increased toward a plateau in 2010. In Caucasians, CSM decreased from 80 to 74% vs 79 to 74% in Hispanics vs 79 to 77% in African Americans, but not in Asians (67-73%). Nonetheless, these rates translated into independent predictor status of contemporary years of diagnosis in all race/ethnicity groups: CSM hazard ratios of 0.75, 0.75, 0.73 and 0.80 in, respectively, Caucasian, Hispanic, African American and Asian.

CONCLUSIONS: In all race/ethnicity groups, contemporary ST rates increased and improved CSM rates have also been recorded.