Agents targeting the immune system have been a historical standard of care in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but have largely been supplanted by newer targeted therapy.
Recent insights into the regulation of an anti-tumor immune response has led to the development of agents that can activate immune responses primarily within the tumor, enabling the possibility of achieving durable tumor response in the absence of significant systemic toxicity. In addition, a better understanding of tumor immunology has raised the potential of developing predictive biomarkers of response to immunotherapy. Novel approaches including inhibition of immune checkpoints has entered clinical testing in RCC.
Written by:
McDermott DF, Atkins MB. Are you the author?
Biologic Therapy Program, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Reference: Semin Oncol. 2013 Aug;40(4):492-8.
doi: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2013.05.008
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23972713
UroToday.com Renal Cancer Section
