Vinflunine in the treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma -Subgroup analysis of an observational study

Background/Aim: Despite an expected prognostic disadvantage for upper tract versus lower tract metastatic urothelial carcinomas (UTUC/LTUC), only few studies have been conducted to elucidate potential differences in chemotherapy treatment. Patients and Methods: A post-hoc subgroup analysis of a non-interventional study investigating vinflunine after failure of a platinum-based chemotherapy in metastatic/locally advanced UC patients was performed. Results: A total of 18 and 59 out of 77 patients had UTUC and LTUC, respectively. The effectiveness of vinflunine treatment was comparable with an overall response rate of 22.2% and 23.7% respectively and a median progressionfree survival of 2.76 months in both groups. Median overall survival was 5.0 months in UTUC compared to 8.2 months in the LTUC group (p=0.478). The safety profile was in accordance with previous vinflunine experiences, with a comparable frequency of adverse events in both groups. Conclusion: Vinflunine can be applied in the 2nd line for UC regardless of the primary tumor localization.