The Evolution of Nephrectomy and Patient Characteristics in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Enrolled Into First-Line Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Clinical Trials

Use of Nx in mRCC patients participating in clinical trials has declined in the TKI era. More patients with worse prognostic risk profiles are participating in first-line TKI trials after 2007, but objective response rates are higher. Despite patient characteristics that favor the earlier group, progression-free survival is similar as TKIs have replaced cytokines as first-line therapy.