Key Points
➤ ➤ Immunotherapy has produced durable clinical benefit in patients with
metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC).
➤ ➤ In the past, patients treated with interferon-alpha (IFN) and interleukin-2
(IL-2) have achieved complete responses, many of which have lasted for
several decades.
➤ ➤ More recently, many new agents have been approved for renal cell cancer
(RCC), several of which attack tumor angiogenesis by inhibiting vascular
endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the VEGF receptor (VEGFR). Others
attack tumor metabolism, inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin
(mTOR).
➤ ➤ A new class of immunotherapy agents – immune checkpoint inhibitors –
will play a significant role in the treatment of patients with RCC.
