Kidney cancer includes several types, most commonly renal cell carcinoma. Treatment options have expanded significantly in recent years with targeted therapies and immunotherapies that harness the immune system. Many people with localized disease are cured with surgery, while advanced disease now has multiple treatment lines that can extend survival for years.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing combinations of checkpoint inhibitors with targeted drugs like cabozantinib and lenvatinib, new HIF-2α inhibitors for clear cell kidney cancer, and antibody-drug conjugates that deliver chemotherapy directly to tumor cells. Researchers are studying biomarkers to predict which treatments work best for each person and testing whether shorter or less intense treatment can work as well in certain cases.
Immunotherapy combinations
Pairing checkpoint inhibitors with targeted therapies has become standard for advanced kidney cancer. Trials are now testing three-drug combinations and trying to identify which patients need the most aggressive treatment.
HIF-2α inhibitors
Belzutifan, FDA-approved in 2021, targets a protein that kidney cancer cells need to survive in low-oxygen conditions. Studies are testing it earlier in treatment and in combination with other drugs.
Personalized treatment selection
Research is identifying genetic markers and other factors that predict response to specific drugs. The goal is to match each person with the treatment most likely to work for their tumor type.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on cancer stage, prior treatments, kidney function, tumor subtype, and whether the cancer has spread to other organs.
What types of trials are currently open
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab and pembrolizumab, often combined with other drugs, to see if they shrink tumors or extend survival.
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs that block specific proteins kidney cancer cells use to grow, including VEGF inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors.
- Combination trials — Testing whether combining immunotherapy with targeted therapy or using multiple drugs together works better than single treatments.
- Surgery trials — Comparing different surgical approaches or testing whether drug treatment before surgery improves outcomes.
- Maintenance trials — Testing whether continuing treatment after initial response prevents cancer from growing back or allows for treatment breaks.
Recently added Kidney Cancer trials
Lenvatinib And Stereotactic radiothErapy With pembRolizumab in Metastatic Kidney Cancer Patients
Metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is sensitive to therapy with lenvatinib and pembrolizumab. The CLEAR trial demonstrated positive outcomes even in patients with a low tumor burden. In a subset of patients with metastatic ccRCC, the presence of a low tumor burden suggests that incorporating stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) into systemic therapy could be a strategy to enhance the anti-tumor response, while maintaining an acceptable toxicity profile. This study evaluates the contribution of SBRT in a subgroup of patients who have achieved stable disease while receiving lenvatinib and pembrolizumab.
Prospective Study of Cadonilimab With Lenvatinib in Renal Cell Carcinoma
This is a prospective, open, multi-cohort phase II study The study included a screening period (participants signed informed consent no more than 28 days before the first treatment in the study), a treatment period (treatment termination was defined as termination of treatment for any reason, such as imaging confirmation of disease progression, failure to tolerate adverse effects after dose adjustment, or early withdrawal for any reason), and a follow-up period (including end-of-treatment visits, safety visits, and survival follow-up). Screening period: Participants are required to undergo a screening period within 28 days prior to the study's first treatment to determine eligibility. Duration of treatment: Patients were treated with Cadonilimab in combination with lenvatinib until disease progression or intolerable toxicity developed. Every 3 weeks was a dosing cycle, and every 6 weeks was a treatment assessment. Follow-up period: The safety follow-up period began after the last study treatment, and was followed up once on the 30th day (±7 days). Subjects should go to the research center for the examination of vital signs, physical examination, laboratory examination and other protocol requirements, and evaluate AE, concomitant medication and concomitant treatment. After the end of the safety follow-up period, the subjects entered the 1-year survival follow-up period, which was conducted every 3 months. They could be visited by telephone follow-up and other effective ways to collect survival information and follow-up treatment information. Survival follow-up lasted until death, loss of follow-up, withdrawal
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