Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer. It is categorized into various subtypes, with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) representing about 85% of all RCC tumors. The lack of sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiation therapy prompted research efforts into novel treatment options. The development of targeted therapeutics, including multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and mTOR inhibitors, has been a major breakthrough in ccRCC therapy. More recently, other therapeutic strategies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, have emerged as effective treatment options against advanced ccRCC. Furthermore, recent advances in disease biology, tumor microenvironment, and mechanisms of resistance formed the basis for attempts to combine targeted therapies with newer generation immunotherapies to take advantage of possible synergy. This review focuses on the current status of basic, translational, and clinical studies on mechanisms of resistance to systemic therapies in ccRCC. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(7); 1355-64. ©2018 AACR.
Molecular cancer therapeutics. 2018 Jul [Epub]
Peter Makhov, Shreyas Joshi, Pooja Ghatalia, Alexander Kutikov, Robert G Uzzo, Vladimir M Kolenko
Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania., Division of Urologic Oncology, Department of Surgical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania., Division of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania., Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. .