Sex and survival outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma receiving first-line immune-based combinations

Background: There is an ongoing debate as to whether sex could be associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) benefit. Existing literature data reveal contradictory results, and data on first-line immune combinations are lacking. Method: This was a real-world, multicenter, international, observational study to determine the sex effects on the clinical outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients treated with immuno-oncology combinations as first-line therapy. Results: A total of 1827 mRCC patients from 71 cancer centers in 21 countries were included. The median OS was 38.7 months (95% CI 32.7–44.2) in the overall study population: 40.0 months (95% CI 32.7–51.6) in males and 38.7 months (95% CI 26.4–41.0) in females (p = 0.202). The median OS was higher in males vs. females in patients aged 18-49y (36.9 months, 95% CI 29.0–51.6, vs. 24.8 months, 95% CI 16.8–40.4, p = 0.426, with + 19% of 2y-OS rate, 72% vs. 53%, p = 0.006), in the clear cell histology subgroup (44.2 months, 95% CI 35.8–55.7, vs. 38.7 months, 95% CI 26.0–41.0, p = 0.047), and in patients with sarcomatoid differentiation (34.4 months, 95% CI 26.4–59.0, vs. 15.3 months, 95% CI 8.9–41.0, p < 0.001). Sex female was an independent negative prognostic factor in the sarcomatoid population (HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.15 − 2.57, p = 0.008). Conclusions: Although the female’s innate and adaptive immunity has been observed to be more active than the male’s, women in the subgroup of clear cell histology, sarcomatoid differentiation, and those under 50 years of age showed shorter OS than males.