New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Kidney Cancer

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.

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.