Immunotherapy

The standard of care for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has evolved rapidly with the development of immunotherapy. Since 2015, new immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved by the US FDA, adding more options for RCC therapies. Recent clinical trials have shown the potency of ICIs, including anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, as combination and monotherapy in both metastatic and local RCC. However, there is a continued need to develop more treatment options for patients with RCC, and ICIs remain the focus of many ongoing clinical trials (PDIGREE, COSMIC-313, PIVOT 09, CONTACT 03, PROBE studies). As ICI therapies have expanded, recent multi-omic analyses have helped categorize RCC into different genetic subtypes based on angiogenesis, immune, cell cycle, metabolism, and stromal programs, attempting to establish new predictive biomarkers and guide therapeutic algorithms. As new immune therapies are approved, further research is warranted to identify the optimal treatment approach for patients with both mRCC and local RCC.

Duke Scholars

Author Tian Zhang Medicine, Medical Oncology