Technology Appraisal Guidance No. 169
Source: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
1. Guidance
1.1 Sunitinib is recommended as a first-line treatment option for people with advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who are suitable for immunotherapy and have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
1.2 When using ECOG performance status score, clinicians should be mindful of the need to secure equality of access to treatments for people with disabilities. Clinicians should bear in mind that people with disabilities may have difficulties with activities of daily living that are unrelated to the prognosis of renal cell carcinoma. In such cases clinicians should make appropriate judgements of performance status taking these considerations into account.
1.3 People who are currently being treated with sunitinib for advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma but who do not meet the criteria in 1.1 should have the option to continue their therapy until they and their clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.
The guidance shown above constitutes Section 1 of the full document. A copy of the full document and a summary of the evidence is available on the Internet at http://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/TA169#documents
An abridged version of this guidance (a 'quick reference guide') is also available. Printed copies of the quick reference guide can be obtained by contacting 0845 003 7783 or emailing publications@nice.org.uk and quoting reference number N1839. It is also available on the Internet at http://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/TA169/QuickRefGuide/pdf/English
This guidance represents the view of the Institute which was arrived at after careful consideration of the available evidence. Health professionals are expected to fully take it into account when exercising their clinical judgement. This guidance does not, however, override the individual responsibility of health professionals to make appropriate decisions in the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer.
© Copyright National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. All rights reserved. This material may be freely reproduced for educational and not for profit purposes within the NHS. No reproduction by or for commercial organisations is permitted without the express written permission of the Institute.
Enquiries concerning the guidance should be addressed to: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, MidCity Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NA. email: nice@nice.nhs.uk
Sunitinib for the First-Line Treatment of Advanced and/or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.
Issue Date: March 2009
Review Date: February 2011
