Estimated Time to Complete Activity: 120 minutes

An estimated 57,760 new cases of cancer of the kidney and renal pelvis will be diagnosed in the United States during 2009. Patient prognosis varies considerably according to the stage of disease at diagnosis. For patients who are diagnosed with local disease, 5-year survival rates reach almost 90%. However, because renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) remain clinically silent for much of their natural history, 30% of patients present with metastatic disease. Treatment for metastatic RCC (mRCC) has recently undergone a significant evolution. For over 15 years, cytokine therapies were the mainstay of first-line treatment for mRCC. However, recent clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of novel agents that inhibit key pathways involved in angiogenesis and tumor growth have demonstrated that many of these drugs prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and/or overall survival (OS) for patients with mRCC compared with standard cytokine therapies. Four targeted agents have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with mRCC, and these agents have been integrated into standard frontline and second-line therapies. Because several of these targeted therapeutics are oral agents, many pharmacists dispense these medications and advise patients, physicians, and nurses on the best use of these drugs. Thus, the pharmacist has an important role in helping patients with RCC manage their disease and therefore pharmacists must be an accessible source of information for patients. To achieve this, they must be knowledgeable about the common adverse events and drug interactions associated with novel, targeted agents and provide information about targeted therapies to patients receiving them. This program will present participants with an overview of the pathophysiology of RCC as a backdrop to a detailed discussion of the mechanisms of action of the latest treatment options for patients with this disease, and the adverse events and drug interactions associated with these therapies.

This activity is intended for clinical pharmacists, hospital-based pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and other healthcare professionals interested in renal cell carcinoma.

Upon completion of this application-based activity, participants will be able to

1. Evaluate the mechanisms of action and efficacies of novel targeted agents used to treat mRCC.  
2. Describe adverse effects and potential drug interactions associated with antiangiogenic, targeted therapies for patients with mRCC. 
3. Discuss adverse effects and drug interactions that may be encountered in patients with mRCC who receive agents targeting the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.

This activity requires that your computer be configured to access the Internet. A high-speed Internet connection may be required to view large files. The webcast will be available on www.thecbce.com and will be a featured program on the CBCE CME app, which may be downloaded from the Apple^® App Store for use on the iPhone^® or iPod touch^®.

This activity can be accessed using an iPhone™ or iPod Touch^® and will be a featured program on the CBCE CME app, which may be downloaded from the Apple^® App Store.

Successful completion of this activity includes the following:

• Score 70% or above on the posttest.
• Complete the Evaluation and Request for Credit Form. 
• Fax the completed posttest and form to the CBCE, (214) 260-0509.

Participants will receive their statement of credit 4-6 weeks after the CBCE receives their posttest and form.

Successful completion of this activity includes the following:

• Complete the online posttest and score 70% or above.
• Complete the online Evaluation and Request for Credit Form.

Participants will receive their certificates via e-mail 4-6 weeks after submission of the online Evaluation and Request for Credit.

Participants of the live activity are not eligible to receive credit for this activity.

The CBCE gratefully acknowledges the educational grant provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. 
 

For further information, please contact the CBCE, 1707 Market Place Blvd., Suite 370, Irving, TX 75063; Phone: (214) 260-9024; Fax: (214) 260-0509; E-mail: info@thecbce.com.

The content and views presented in this educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or recommendations of the CBCE or Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. This material has been prepared based on a review of multiple sources of information but is not comprehensive. Participants are advised to critically appraise the information presented, and they are encouraged to consult the available literature on any product or device mentioned in this program.

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. For additional information about approved uses, including approved indications, contraindications, and warnings, please refer to the prescribing information for each product or consult the latest edition of the Physicians’ Desk Reference.

As a provider accredited by the ACCME, it is the policy of the CBCE to require that everyone who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest, and identify and resolve all conflicts of interest prior to the educational activity. The CBCE defines “relevant financial relationships” as any amount occurring within the past 12 months.

Financial relationships are those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honorarium, ownership interest (eg, stocks, stock options, or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected. The CBCE considers relationships of the person involved in the educational activity to include financial relationships of a spouse or partner.

Faculty who refuse to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from being a planning committee member, a teacher, or an author, and cannot have control of or responsibility for the development, management, presentation, or evaluation of the educational activity. For an individual with no relevant financial relationship, participants must be informed that no relevant financial relationship exists.

The CBCE assesses conflicts of interest with its faculty, planners, and managers of CBCE activities. Identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly evaluated for fair balance, scientific objectivity relative to studies utilized in this activity, and patient-care recommendations. The CBCE is committed to providing participants with high-quality, unbiased, and state-of-the-art education.

The following faculty declared they have no financial relationships that require disclosure:

Brad Atkinson, PharmD, BCPS
Sally Y. Barbour, PharmD, BCOP, CPP
Diana Hey Cauley, PharmD, BCOP
Nizar M. Tannir, MD, FACP

The CBCE receives educational grants from the pharmaceutical industry and other commercial sources. Companies providing grants to the CBCE include the commercial supporter of this activity as well as the manufacturers of certain drugs and/or devices discussed in this activity.

The CBCE staff have declared they have no financial relationships that require disclosure.