OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of sorafenib and sunitinib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC)by using indirect comparison meta-analysis. METHODS: Systematic literature search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane controlled trials register. All randomized clinical trials of sorafenib or sunitinib versus interferon alfa for treating metastatic renal-cell carcinoma were included. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two reviewers with disagreements being resolved by consensus. The effects of sorafenib and sunitinib on progression-free survival were compared indirectly using indirect treatment comparison program, with interferon alfa(IFN) as a common comparator. RESULTS: Two studies were included. Median progression-free survival was prolonged with the treatment of sunitinib( 11 months) compared to interferon alfa(5 months). For the comparison of sorafenib and interferon-alfa, the median progression-free survival was similar (median PFS: 5.7months vs. 5.6 months). Indirect comparison suggests that sunitinib is not superior to sorafenib for prolongation of progress free survival ( hazard ratio 0.37; 95% CI: 0.236-0.58, p=0,0189). CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant evidence to suggest that treatment with sunitinib has clinical advantages over treatment with sorafenib in patients with metastatic RCC.