Vasileiadis T, et al. - Researchers examined 70 patients with metastatic renal cell cancer who took sunitinib as first-line therapy to determine how survival of these patients was influenced by sunitinib-induced hypothyroidism. At baseline, following 15 days of treatment (day-15), and at the end of the second cycle (day-75), measurements of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were taken. Findings revealed a link between early TSH-increase and clinical benefit. Prognostic value of early increases in TSH levels, (ie 2 weeks from commencing the treatment) was evident. Compared to patients with a lower or no TSH-increase, significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival, were observed in patients who demonstrated a higher than a twofold rise in TSH levels.