Prognostic Value of Baseline Serum C-Reactive Protein Level in Intermediate-Risk Group Patients With Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma Treated by First-Line Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Targeted Therapy

Because accumulating evidence underlines the association of systemic inflammation with metastatic renalcell carcinoma (mRCC) progression, we evaluated baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as a prognostic marker in 107 intermediate-risk mRCC patients treated with first-line targeted therapy. Baseline CRP could be a biomarker correlated with overall survival in the intermediate-risk group. Its cost efficacy and availability make CRP a helpful tool for reclassifying the intermediate-risk group. Background: Almost half of patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma (mRCC) are classified as intermediate risk by the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) model. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels predict overall survival (OS) in intermediate-risk group mRCC patients. Patients and Methods: Data from 107 intermediate-risk group mRCC patients receiving first-line targeted therapy were retrospectively reviewed. We evaluated the correlation between baseline CRP levels as well as other indices and OS. Results: Of the 107 patients with intermediate-risk disease, 46 patients (43%) were classified as having elevated CRP levels. The elevation of pretreatment serum CRP levels was the independent prognostic factor of OS in patients with intermediate risk (hazard ratio, 4.609; P = .001). The 1- and 3-year survival rates of patients with intermediate-nonelevated CRP were 90.0% and 64.7% compared to the favorable-risk group, at 92.1% and 68.5%, respectively. In contrast, the 1 - and 3-year survival rates of patients with intermediate-elevated CRP were 80.5% and 37.4% compared to the poor-risk group, at 65.2% and 24.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Baseline CRP levels could divide mRCC patients in the intermediate-risk group into 2 prognostic subgroups.