Kidney Cancer

A personalized immunotherapy (AGS-003) nearly doubled expected progression-free survival and overall survival when added to standard sunitinib (Sutent) in patients with unfavorable-risk metastatic renal cell carcinoma, according to results from a single-arm phase II study.

Use of tivozanib, an experimental tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with increased specificity and potency for the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor, as initial targeted therapy for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma did not translate into improved overall survival compared with sorafenib (Nexavar) in a phase III clinical trial.

To optimize outcomes for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, multimodal therapy is often required.

A large retrospective study of older patients diagnosed with small kidney tumors showed that patients who undergo surgery to remove these tumors have the same risk of dying of kidney cancer over a 5-year period as those who undergo surveillance.