Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Nov:70:127-137.
doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2018.07.009. Epub 2018 Jul 20.

Current and emerging therapies for first-line treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Michael B Atkins  1 , Nizar M Tannir  2
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Current and emerging therapies for first-line treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Michael B Atkins et al. Cancer Treat Rev. 2018 Nov.
Free article

Abstract

There has been significant progress in the treatment of patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), with improved knowledge of disease biology and the introduction of targeted agents and immunotherapies. In this review, we discuss current and emerging first-line treatment options, including recent approvals of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) cabozantinib and the immunotherapy combination of nivolumab (anti-programmed cell death 1 [PD-1])/ipilimumab (anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 [CTLA-4]), and initial outcomes with the combination of atezolizumab (anti-PD-ligand 1 [PD-L1])/bevacizumab (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]). Key clinical data are reviewed, as these novel first-line treatments offer significant improvement, particularly for patients classified as intermediate/poor risk for whom previously available therapies have demonstrated limited efficacy. Treatment recommendations based on clinical evidence and expert opinion are discussed. We also review ongoing studies investigating combinations of checkpoint inhibitors with TKIs, including cabozantinib and axitinib, and with other novel immunomodulatory agents, and the potential role of single-agent immunotherapy for select patients. With a growing treatment armamentarium, identification and validation of biomarkers will be crucial for optimizing first-line selection and treatment sequences.

Keywords: Atezolizumab; Bevacizumab; Cabozantinib; Ipilimumab; Nivolumab; Renal cell carcinoma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

MeSH terms

Substances