Medical Oncologist
Pazopanib (Votrient) · Eligibility
Who Is Eligible for — Pazopanib?
Pazopanib has been approved for two specific cancers: advanced kidney cancer and advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Whether you are eligible depends on your cancer type, stage, and general health — not on a biomarker test. This page explains the criteria your oncologist will use.
Medically reviewed by Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS (Gold Medal) · DNB · DM (Medical Oncology, Gold Medal) · Last reviewed August 2026
- Two approved uses — Pazopanib is approved for advanced kidney cancer and for soft tissue sarcoma after prior chemotherapy — and for nothing else.
- No biomarker test required — Unlike immunotherapy, you do not need a PD-L1 or genetic test to qualify. Eligibility depends on cancer type and stage.
- Liver function matters — Your oncologist will check your liver function before starting, because pazopanib affects the liver in some people.
- Taken at home as a tablet — Pazopanib is not an infusion. You take one tablet once a day at home, which means no clinic visit for each dose.
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Pazopanib is approved for adults with advanced kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) and for adults with advanced soft tissue sarcoma who have already had chemotherapy. No biomarker test is required. Your oncologist will assess your cancer stage, liver function, and general fitness before confirming whether it suits you.
Which cancers is pazopanib approved for?
| Kidney cancer (RCC) | Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Stage required | Advanced or metastatic | Advanced or metastatic |
| Prior chemotherapy | Not required — can be first-line | Required — at least one course before pazopanib |
| Biomarker test | Not required | Not required |
| Main subtypes included | Primarily clear cell RCC | Most soft tissue subtypes |
| Not suitable for | — | GIST, bone sarcomas, most liposarcomas |
Could you be eligible for pazopanib?
- Your diagnosis is advanced or metastatic kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma).
- Or: your diagnosis is advanced soft tissue sarcoma, and you have completed at least one prior course of chemotherapy.
- Your liver function tests are within an acceptable range.
- You are fit enough to manage light daily activities.
- You are not pregnant — and, if there is any risk of pregnancy, you are using reliable contraception.
- Your oncologist has reviewed the other medicines you take for possible interactions with pazopanib.
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MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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What do the medical terms mean?
- Renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
- Kidney cancer that starts in the cells lining the small tubes inside the kidney. It is the most common form of kidney cancer in adults.
- Soft tissue sarcoma (STS)
- Cancer that begins in soft tissues — muscle, fat, tendons, or blood vessel walls. It is different from bone cancer, and different subtypes behave differently.
- VEGFR inhibitor
- A drug that blocks signals tumour cells use to grow new blood vessels. Cutting off that blood supply aims to slow the tumour's growth. Pazopanib works by this mechanism.
- GIST
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumour — a soft tissue tumour of the gut. Pazopanib is not approved for GIST; different targeted drugs are the standard for that diagnosis.
- Performance status
- A scale your oncologist uses to measure how well you can manage daily tasks. It helps them judge whether a treatment is likely to be safe for you at this point.
Did you know?
Pazopanib is one of very few cancer drugs approved, in separate clinical trials, for two entirely different cancer types — advanced kidney cancer and advanced soft tissue sarcoma.
For patients with sarcoma in particular, it opened a targeted treatment option where very few existed before.
Source: FDA approval records; ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for Soft Tissue and Visceral Sarcomas
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a biomarker test to qualify for pazopanib?
No. Eligibility for pazopanib is based on your cancer type and stage, not on a biomarker result. This is different from checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs, which usually require a PD-L1 test or a check for genetic markers such as MSI before treatment is approved. Your oncologist will confirm eligibility from your diagnosis and staging information, alongside standard blood and liver function tests.
I have soft tissue sarcoma but have not had chemotherapy yet. Can I start pazopanib?
Not as a first treatment. For soft tissue sarcoma, NCCN and ESMO guidance positions pazopanib as an option after at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. If you have not yet had chemotherapy, your oncologist will typically recommend chemotherapy first. Pazopanib may become an option later, depending on how your disease responds and your general fitness at that stage.
Can pazopanib be used for cancers other than kidney cancer and sarcoma?
Pazopanib is approved by regulatory bodies including the FDA and EMA specifically for advanced kidney cancer and advanced soft tissue sarcoma. For other cancer types it is not a standard approved treatment. If your diagnosis is different from these two, ask your oncologist which targeted therapies, if any, are recommended for your specific cancer and stage.
What tests will my oncologist do before starting pazopanib?
Before starting, your team will check your liver function, kidney function, thyroid function, and blood pressure. These are not eligibility tests in the way a biomarker screen is — they establish a baseline so that any changes once treatment begins can be identified and managed quickly. Pazopanib affects the liver in a proportion of patients, which is why liver function is checked before and regularly during treatment.
Will pazopanib work if my kidney cancer has already spread?
Pazopanib is approved specifically for advanced or metastatic kidney cancer — meaning cancer that has already spread is within the approval, not outside it. Whether it is likely to help in your specific situation depends on your cancer subtype, your liver and kidney function, and your general fitness. Your oncologist is the right person to assess the balance of likely benefit and risk for you individually.
Is pazopanib available at CION?
Yes. Pazopanib is an oral tablet taken at home once a day, so there is no infusion appointment — you collect your prescription and manage daily dosing yourself. CION oncologists can prescribe pazopanib for eligible patients across centres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and will arrange monitoring blood tests and blood pressure checks during treatment.