Renal cell carcinoma accounts for about 90% of kidney cancers. Treatment has changed dramatically over the past two decades, with targeted therapies and immunotherapies now standard for advanced disease. Many people with metastatic kidney cancer now live years longer than was possible with earlier treatments.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing combinations of checkpoint inhibitors with VEGF inhibitors like cabozantinib and lenvatinib, HIF-2α inhibitors for clear cell disease, and newer immunotherapy combinations. Studies are also exploring whether surgery still helps after effective drug treatment, testing adjuvant therapy to prevent recurrence, and identifying biomarkers that predict which drugs will work best.
HIF-2α inhibitors
Belzutifan, FDA-approved in 2021, targets a protein that drives clear cell kidney cancer growth. Trials are testing it in combination with other drugs and in earlier stages of disease.
Immunotherapy combinations
Combining checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab with drugs that starve tumors of blood supply has become standard, and trials are testing triple combinations. Studies are also looking at whether shorter treatment courses work as well as continuous therapy.
Biomarker-guided treatment
Researchers are studying gene expression patterns and immune markers to predict which patients respond best to immunotherapy versus targeted therapy. This could help avoid ineffective treatments and their side effects.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease stage, prior treatments, kidney function, and tumor subtype (clear cell versus non-clear cell).
What types of trials are currently open
- First-line treatment trials — Testing new drug combinations for people with advanced kidney cancer who haven't yet received systemic treatment.
- Treatment-resistant trials — Testing drugs for people whose cancer has progressed after one or more prior therapies.
- Adjuvant trials — Studies of treatment after surgery to reduce the risk of cancer coming back, typically for people at higher risk of recurrence.
- Surgical trials — Testing whether removing the kidney still helps when drug treatment is working well, or comparing different surgical approaches.
- Biomarker studies — Collecting tissue and blood samples to identify which patients are most likely to benefit from specific treatments.
Recently added Renal Cell Carcinoma 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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