ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Rapid disease progression associated with increased tumor proliferation has been observed during withdrawal of anti-angiogenic therapy. We characterize the dynamics of withdrawal flare for axitinib. METHODS: Thirty patients with metastatic solid malignancies received axitinib for 2 weeks, followed by a 1-week drug holiday. Twenty patients suitable for PET imaging received scans with (18)F-3'deoxy-3'fluoro-L-thymidine (FLT), a marker of proliferation. Plasma VEGF and axitinib pharmacokinetic levels were also assessed at specified time points. RESULTS: During axitinib withdrawal, significant increases in both SUVmax (+22 %; p = 0.006) and SUVmean (+20 %; p = 0.001) were observed. Significant increases relative to peak axitinib concentration were observed at day 2 withdrawal for SUVmax and SUVmean, with no further significant increase from day 2 to day 7 of withdrawal. No significant change in SUVmax or SUVmean was observed during the treatment period, relative to baseline. VEGF concentration significantly increased when on drug (p < 0.001) and decreased back to a level indistinguishable from baseline by day 7 of drug washout (p = 0.448). No correlation between change in VEGF and change in imaging metrics was observed. CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in tumor proliferation was observed during withdrawal of axitinib therapy, and this flare occurred within 2 days of axitinib withdrawal. An exploratory analysis indicated that this flare may be associated with poor clinical outcome.