The Evolution of Systemic Therapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

2016 ◽  
pp. 113-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Hutson ◽  
Gregory R. Thoreson ◽  
Robert A. Figlin ◽  
Brian I. Rini
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Considerable Change ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Novel Therapeutics ◽  
Optimal Sequencing ◽  
Treatment Paradigm

The treatment landscape for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a dynamic process that has seen considerable change in recent years. We have seen a rebirth of original breakthroughs with immune checkpoint inhibitors showing promise in patients with treatment-refractory disease. The optimal sequencing of treatments and incorporation of novel therapeutics are actively being investigated and have yet to be determined. The clinical challenges of this evolving treatment paradigm can be attributed to cost considerations, toxicity, and defining endpoints in the management of advanced RCC. As novel therapeutics emerge, finding the optimal treatment regimen for patients will have an increasing focus on patient-centered outcomes and improvement in quality of life in addition to improving survival.

scholarly journals Evolving Treatment Paradigm in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

2017 ◽  
pp. 319-329
Author(s):  
David M. Gill ◽  
Neeraj Agarwal ◽  
Ulka Vaishampayan
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Targeted Therapies ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Mtor Inhibitors ◽  
Treatment Paradigm

The treatment paradigm for advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has evolved rapidly since the arrival of targeted therapies and novel immunotherapies. mRCC was previously treated only with cytokines. However, discoveries of mutations affecting the von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor gene (leading to increased expression of VEGF and hypoxia inducible factor/HIF-1) and of deregulations in the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/AKT/mTOR pathway (resulting in tumor angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and tumor growth) have led to the development of numerous targeted therapies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has thus approved a total of nine targeted therapies since 2005, including VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitors (sunitinib, pazopanib, axitinib, sorafenib, and lenvatinib), a monoclonal antibody targeting VEGF (bevacizumab), mTOR inhibitors (temsirolimus and everolimus), and a multityrosine kinase inhibitor (cabozantinib). Furthermore, the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors has again shifted the mRCC therapeutic landscape with the FDA’s approval of nivolumab. Herein, we discuss the unprecedented changes in the field of clear cell histology mRCC in both the first-line and salvage settings, and we also discuss future therapies and recommend a treatment paradigm on sequencing of these agents.

Pembrolizumab plus axitinib combination and the paradigm change in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Spisarová ◽  
Bohuslav Melichar ◽  
Denisa Vitásková ◽  
Hana Študentová
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Paradigm Change ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Sequential Administration ◽  
Treatment Paradigm ◽  
Combination Regimens

Sequential administration of single targeted agents has been challenged as the dominant treatment paradigm in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma by improved outcomes obtained with combination regimens based on immune checkpoint inhibitors. Most patients treated with sequential monotherapy eventually develop drug resistance and succumb to progressive disease, leading to the search for therapies that would overcome drug resistance and result in a more durable treatment response. Improved outcomes have been demonstrated in Phase 3 trials in comparison with sunitinib for the combinations of axitinib plus pembrolizumab, axitinib plus avelumab, bevacizumab plus atezolizumab and ipilimumab plus nivolumab. A statistically significant improvement of both progression-free and overall survival has been demonstrated for the axitinib plus pembrolizumab combination.

Toxicity Management of Front-Line Pembrolizumab Combined With Axitinib in Clear Cell Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Study Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 15s-19s ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura S. Wood ◽  
Moshe C. Ornstein
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Study Approach

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved clinical outcomes in many malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Awareness of potential adverse events and effective management of these toxicities is critical to maximizing clinical outcomes. Pembrolizumab plus axitinib is approved as front-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC), making it the first checkpoint inhibitor and tyrosine kinase inhibitor combination approved for any malignancy. Given overlapping toxicities with this combination, the toxicity profile of each drug must be considered when assessing and managing toxicities in patients treated with pembrolizumab and axitinib. Use of online resources, including published guidelines from ASCO, the Immuno-Oncology Essentials Web site, and other organizations, can assist oncology and nononcology health care professionals to more effectively manage toxicities, maximize clinical outcomes, and improve quality of life for patients with aRCC. Herein, we describe a case of a patient with aRCC treated with pembrolizumab and axitinib, highlighting a systematic approach to toxicity management.

scholarly journals Risk Stratification and Treatment Algorithm of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 5339
Author(s):  
Marc-Oliver Grimm ◽  
Katharina Leucht ◽  
Susan Foller
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Risk Stratification ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Treatment Algorithm ◽  
Individual Treatment

Systemic therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma has continuously evolved over the last two decades. Significant improvements in overall survival and quality of life of patients with advanced disease have been observed. With the approval of combination therapies with PD(L)-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) as first-line therapy in 2019, the previous standard VEGFR-TKI monotherapy has been replaced as the primary treatment option. In addition to immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab, three VEGFR-TKI/ICI combinations are now approved. Therapy selection should be preceded by risk stratification using defined criteria from the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC). Clinical parameters, as well as detailed patient counseling on differences in the efficacy profile (response rate, long-term progression-free survival), potential side effects, and impact on quality of life, are of key importance in the individual treatment decision.

scholarly journals Brain Complete Response to Cabozantinib prior to Radiation Therapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
An Uche ◽  
Chad Sila ◽  
Tad Tanoura ◽  
James Yeh ◽  
Neil Bhowmick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Complete Response ◽  
Heavily Pretreated ◽  
Treatment Paradigm ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

Cabozantinib represents an established vascular endothelial growth factor- (VEGF-) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in the treatment paradigm of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Its activity in mRCC patients with brain metastases (BMs) has been largely underreported in prospective clinical trials. We present the unique case of a heavily pretreated mRCC patient with BMs who achieved a brain complete response to cabozantinib prior to receiving radiation therapy. We end with a literature review and discussion of the biologic rationale and growing evidence supporting the intracranial activity of cabozantinib.

Adjuvant Therapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Current Stance and Future Directions

Kidney Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Austin G. Kazarian ◽  
Neal S. Chawla ◽  
Ramya Muddasani ◽  
Sumanta K. Pal
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Adjuvant Therapy ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Disease Free Survival ◽  
Adjuvant Setting ◽  
Metastatic Setting

In recent years, incredible progress has been made in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, with a paradigm shift from the use of cytokines to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and more recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Despite advances in the metastatic setting, effective therapies in the adjuvant setting are a largely unmet need. Currently, sunitinib (Sutent, Pfizer) is the only therapy for the adjuvant treatment of RCC included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, which was approved by the FDA based on the improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) seen in the S-TRAC trial. However, improvement in DFS has not translated into an overall survival (OS) benefit for patients at high-risk of relapse post-nephrectomy, illustrating the need for more effective therapies. This manuscript will highlight attributes of both historical and current drug trials and their implications on the landscape of adjuvant therapy. Additionally, we will outline strategies for selecting patients in whom treatment would be most beneficial, as optimal patient selection is a crucial step towards improving outcomes in the adjuvant setting. This is especially critical, given the financial cost and pharmacological toxicity of therapeutic agents. Furthermore, we will review the design of clinical trials including the value of utilizing OS as an endpoint over DFS. Finally, we will discuss how the incorporation of genomic data into predictive models, the use of more sensitive imaging modalities for more accurate staging, and more extensive surgical intervention involving lymph node dissection, may impact outcomes.

scholarly journals Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score associated with survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e002851
Author(s):  
Jacqueline T Brown ◽  
Yuan Liu ◽  
Julie M Shabto ◽  
Dylan Martini ◽  
Deepak Ravindranathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Prognostic Score ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Glasgow Prognostic Score ◽  
Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score

BackgroundThe modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) is a composite biomarker that uses albumin and C reactive protein (CRP). There are multiple immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based combinations approved for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We investigated the ability of mGPS to predict outcomes in patients with mRCC receiving ICI.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients with mRCC treated with ICI as monotherapy or in combination at Winship Cancer Institute between 2015 and 2020. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were measured from the start date of ICI until death or clinical/radiographical progression, respectively. The baseline mGPS was defined as a summary score based on pre-ICI values with one point given for CRP>10 mg/L and/or albumin<3.5 g/dL, resulting in possible scores of 0, 1 and 2. If only albumin was low with a normal CRP, no points were awarded. Univariate analysis (UVA) and multivariate analysis (MVA) were carried out using Cox proportional hazard model. Outcomes were also assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results156 patients were included with a median follow-up 24.2 months. The median age was 64 years and 78% had clear cell histology. Baseline mGPS was 0 in 36%, 1 in 40% and 2 in 24% of patients. In UVA, a baseline mGPS of 2 was associated with shorter OS (HR 4.29, 95% CI 2.24 to 8.24, p<0.001) and PFS (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.01, p=0.006) relative to a score of 0; this disparity in outcome based on baseline mGPS persisted in MVA. The respective median OS of patients with baseline mGPS of 0, 1 and 2 was 44.5 (95% CI 27.3 to not evaluable), 15.3 (95% CI 11.0 to 24.2) and 10 (95% CI 4.6 to 17.5) months (p<0.0001). The median PFS of these three cohorts was 6.7 (95% CI 3.6 to 13.1), 4.2 (95% CI 2.9 to 6.2) and 2.6 (95% CI 2.0 to 5.6), respectively (p=0.0216). The discrimination power of baseline mGPS to predict survival outcomes was comparable to the IMDC risk score based on Uno’s c-statistic (OS: 0.6312 vs 0.6102, PFS: 0.5752 vs 0.5533).ConclusionThe mGPS is prognostic in this cohort of patients with mRCC treated with ICI as monotherapy or in combination. These results warrant external and prospective validation.

scholarly journals Multidiscipline Immunotherapy-Based Rational Combinations for Robust and Durable Efficacy in Brain Metastases from Renal Cell Carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6290
Author(s):  
Hye-Won Lee
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Medical Needs

Advanced imaging techniques for diagnosis have increased awareness on the benefits of brain screening, facilitated effective control of extracranial disease, and prolonged life expectancy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients. Brain metastasis (BM) in patients with mRCC (RCC-BM) is associated with grave prognoses, a high degree of morbidity, dedicated assessment, and unresponsiveness to conventional systemic therapeutics. The therapeutic landscape of RCC-BM is rapidly changing; however, survival outcomes remain poor despite standard surgery and radiation, highlighting the unmet medical needs and the requisite for advancement in systemic therapies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are one of the most promising strategies to treat RCC-BM. Understanding the role of brain-specific tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is important for developing rationale-driven ICI-based combination strategies that circumvent tumor intrinsic and extrinsic factors and complex positive feedback loops associated with resistance to ICIs in RCC-BM via combination with ICIs involving other immunological pathways, anti-antiangiogenic multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and radiotherapy; therefore, novel combination approaches are being developed for synergistic potential against RCC-BM; however, further prospective investigations with longer follow-up periods are required to improve the efficacy and safety of combination treatments and to elucidate dynamic predictive biomarkers depending on the interactions in the brain TIME.

scholarly journals Low intratumor heterogeneity correlates with increased response to PD-1 blockade in renal cell carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175883592097711
Author(s):  
Xia Ran ◽  
Jinyuan Xiao ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Huajing Teng ◽  
Fang Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Intratumor Heterogeneity ◽  
Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Activity

Background: Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) has been shown to be inversely associated with immune infiltration in several cancers including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but it remains unclear whether ITH is associated with response to immunotherapy (e.g. PD-1 blockade) in ccRCC. Methods: We quantified ITH using mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity, investigated the association of ITH with immune parameters in patients with ccRCC ( n = 336) as well as those with papillary RCC (pRCC, n = 280) from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and validations were conducted in patients with ccRCC from an independent cohort ( n = 152). The relationship between ITH and response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy was explored in patients with metastatic ccRCC from a clinical trial of anti-PD-1 therapy ( n = 35), and validated in three equal-size simulated data sets ( n = 60) generated by random sampling with replacement based on this clinical trial cohort. Results: In ccRCC, low ITH was associated with better survival, more reductions in tumor burden, and clinical benefit of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy through modulating immune activity involving more neoantigens, elevated expression of HLA class I genes, and higher abundance of dendritic cells. Furthermore, we found that the association between the level of ITH and response to PD-1 blockade was independent of the mutation status of PBRM1 and that integrating both factors performed better than the individual predictors in predicting the benefit of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in ccRCC patients. In pRCC, increased immune activity was also observed in low- versus high-ITH tumors, including higher neoantigen counts, increased abundance of monocytes, and decreased expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2. Conclusions: ITH may be helpful in the identification of patients who could benefit from PD-1 blockade in ccRCC, and even in pRCC where no genomic metrics has been found to correlate with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

scholarly journals Determinants of resistance to VEGF-TKI and immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Revati Sharma ◽  
Elif Kadife ◽  
Mark Myers ◽  
George Kannourakis ◽  
Prashanth Prithviraj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Angiogenesis Pathway

AbstractVascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGF-TKIs) have been the mainstay of treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Despite its early promising results in decreasing or delaying the progression of RCC in patients, VEGF-TKIs have provided modest benefits in terms of disease-free progression, as 70% of the patients who initially respond to the treatment later develop drug resistance, with 30% of the patients innately resistant to VEGF-TKIs. In the past decade, several molecular and genetic mechanisms of VEGF-TKI resistance have been reported. One of the mechanisms of VEGF-TKIs is inhibition of the classical angiogenesis pathway. However, recent studies have shown the restoration of an alternative angiogenesis pathway in modulating resistance. Further, in the last 5 years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized RCC treatment. Although some patients exhibit potent responses, a non-negligible number of patients are innately resistant or develop resistance within a few months to ICI therapy. Hence, an understanding of the mechanisms of VEGF-TKI and ICI resistance will help in formulating useful knowledge about developing effective treatment strategies for patients with advanced RCC. In this article, we review recent findings on the emerging understanding of RCC pathology, VEGF-TKI and ICI resistance mechanisms, and potential avenues to overcome these resistance mechanisms through rationally designed combination therapies.

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