Table 2.

Within-treatment comparison of progression-free and overall survival stratified by median baseline soluble protein concentrations

Soluble protein	Treatment arma	Median PFS (months)		HR (95 % CI)	Log-rank P
		<Median [protein]	≥Median [protein]
VEGF-A	Sunitinib	13.7	7.8	2.55 (1.19–5.48)	0.0059
	IFN-α	7.8	3.9	1.35 (0.805–2.27)	0.248
VEGF-C	Sunitinib	13.7	11.1	1.42 (0.779–2.59)	0.242
	IFN-α	5.1	7.8	1.12 (0.619–2.01)	0.713
sVEGFR-3	Sunitinib	21.7	10.9	2.40 (1.13–5.11)	0.0104
	IFN-α	5.4	3.9	1.16 (0.688–1.95)	0.582
IL-8	Sunitinib	21.7	12.4	1.20 (0.685–2.1)	0.524
	IFN-α	7.8	2.6	1.84 (1.055–3.47)	0.0472

Plasma protein	Treatment arma	Median OS (months)		HR (95 % CI)	Log-rank P
		<Median [protein]	≥Median [protein]
VEGF-A	Sunitinib	NR	21.8	2.60 (1.22–5.53)	0.0043
	IFN-α	26.6	12.8	1.49 (0.903–2.45)	0.11
VEGF-C	Sunitinib	NR	23.3	1.51 (0.837–2.72)	0.159
	IFN-α	22.0	16.5	1.01 (0.619–1.66)	0.961
sVEGFR-3	Sunitinib	NR	23.3	1.68 (0.928–3.04)	0.0738
	IFN-α	22.0	17.6	1.24 (0.757–2.04)	0.388
IL-8	Sunitinib	NR	23.3	1.37 (0.761–2.48)	0.283
	IFN-α	22.0	12.9	1.52 (0.924–2.51)	0.0897

CI confidence interval, HR hazard ratio, IL-8 interleukin-8, IFN-α interferon-alpha, NR not reached, PFS progression-free survival, OS overall survival, VEGF-A vascular endothelial growth factor A, VEGF-C vascular endothelial growth factor C, sVEGFR-3 soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3

^aTotal N = 33 and N = 30 for each protein in the sunitinib and IFN-α arms, respectively, apart from IL-8, where total N = 31 and N = 29 in the sunitinib and IFN-α arms, respectively