Renal Cell Carcinoma

Rising prescription drug prices continue to add to the burden of paying for quality healthcare. In an effort to confront such costs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has rescinded a prohibition on step therapy for Medicare Advantage plans. But some contend such a policy will reduce patient access to optimal medication.

Patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who were treated with the combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and axitinib (Inlyta) demonstrated a significantly improved survival benefit compared with sunitinib (Sutent) in the first-line setting, meeting the endpoints of the pivotal phase III KEYNOTE-426 trial.

Bradley McGregor, MD, discusses the impact of combination therapies on the treatment landscape of renal cell carcinoma.

<br /> Shilpa Gupta, MD, assistant professor in the Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation Division at the University of Minnesota, discusses the potential for triplet regimens in the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Long-term metastatic control is an important goal for patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy. In recent years, adjuvant therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors has entered the picture to potentially fill this unmet need.

Progression-free survival was significantly improved in treatment-na&iuml;ve patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma by combining&nbsp;the PD-L1 inhibitor avelumab (Bavencio) with the VEGF inhibitor axitinib (Inlyta) compared with sunitinib, according to findings from the phase III JAVELIN Renal 101 study.

The presence of biomarkers including SDF-1, VEGF-A, and sVEGFR1 and 2 at baseline were associated with poorer progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib prior to nephrectomy.

Daniel J. George, MD, professor of medicine and surgery at Duke Cancer Institute, discusses his rationale for choosing patients with renal cell carcinoma that should receive adjuvant sunitinib therapy.&nbsp;

Perspective on the Treatment of Advanced Renal Cell Cancer

Treatment of Refractory Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Timothy M. Kuzel, MD, recently spoke on the treatment decisions and consideration he makes when treating patients with renal cell carcinoma. Kuzel, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, deputy director of Rush Cancer Center, Rush University Medical Center, explained his treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.

Treatment with pembrolizumab and bevacizumab proved to be a promising combination regimen for&nbsp;patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, according to phase Ib/II data presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Mario Snzol, MD,&nbsp;discusses the latest developments with immunotherapy, which he says is poised to become the standard of care in the treatment of patients with metastatic RCC.

Daniel J. George, MD, professor of medicine and surgery at Duke Cancer Institute, discussed the results from these 2 analyses in this high-risk patient population with RCC compared to metastatic RCC. He also shares his own insights on what to take away from this data.