Immunotherapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma

Hatice BÖLEKa,b , Yüksel ÜRÜNa,b
aAnkara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara, Türkiye
bAnkara University Cancer Research Institute, Ankara, Türkiye

Bölek H, Ürün Y. Immunotherapy for renal cell carcinoma. In: Şendur MAN, ed. Current Immunotherapy Landscape for Solid Tumors. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2024. p.92-8.

ABSTRACT
The advent of immunotherapy (IO) has ushered in a novel era in the management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), causing a substantial paradigm shift in the approach to treatment. Combination IOs and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which target important biological pathways linked to cancer growth, have become the first-line treatment for metastatic RCC (mRCC). The benefits of combination therapies are well-established for patients with International mRCC Database Consortium (IMDC) intermediate and poor risk, with extended survival times and higher response rates. It is important to emphasize that this benefit is not clear in patients with favorable risk. Due to the unique immunogenicity observed in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) compared to other types of solid tumors the utility of markers that typically indicate the efficacy of immunotherapy in other tumor types is limited for patient selection in RCC. Further studies are needed to investigate novel markers that can help the patient’s selection and reduce overtreatment. This is particularly relevant for patients with IMDC favorable risk and those receiving adjuvant therapy, where the role of immunotherapy remains uncertain.

Keywords: Carcinoma, renal cell; immunotherapy; immune checkpoint inhibitors

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