Previously a malignancy with few therapeutic options, metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treatment is rapidly evolving. Although cytokine therapies (interferon-a, interleukin-2) have been used less frequently over the past decade, recent approval of an immune checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab, has led to a resurgence in immune therapy for mRCC. With greater understanding of the complex and dynamic interaction between the tumor and the immune system, numerous new immunotherapies are being studied for mRCC. In this article, we review the mechanism of action, clinical outcomes and toxicity profiles of both clinically approved and selected investigational immunotherapies. Either alone or in combination, these novel agents are encouraging for the future of mRCC therapy.
Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics. 2016 Aug 05 [Epub ahead of print]
David Gill, Andrew W Hahn, Guru Sonpavde, Neeraj Agarwal
a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Utah , 50 N Medical Drive, Salt Lake City , UT 84132., a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Utah , 50 N Medical Drive, Salt Lake City , UT 84132., b University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) , Birmingham , AL., c Huntsman Cancer Institute , Ste. 2123, 2000 Circle of Hope, Salt Lake City , UT 84112.