Tolerable sorafenib therapy for a renal cell carcinoma patient with hemodialysis: a case study

Sorafenib (Nexavar(A (R))) has been approved for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is little information on the dosage adjustment of sorafenib for patients with end-stage renal failure. Herein, we have examined the effect of hemodialysis on the pharmacokinetics of sorafenib and its major active metabolite, M-2, and assessed sorafenib-related toxicity throughout the therapy. The patient was a 54-year-old man who was diagnosed with advanced RCC. Pharmacokinetic analysis was carried out on days 9 and 183. The patient had stable disease on day 77 and showed progression on day 181. He has received about 6 months of continuous treatment with sorafenib 800 mg/day without any clinically relevant toxicity. The pharmacokinetic parameters of sorafenib such as C (max) and AUC(0-12) on day 183 were in the range of the reference values reported in patients with normal renal function. Our results suggest that sorafenib administered at a dose of 400 mg twice per day was well tolerated, at least for 6 months, for a patient undergoing hemodialysis.