What the trial was testing
The KEYNOTE-29 enrolled 295 patients with kidney cancer. The study was sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was an early-stage trial — researchers are still confirming safety and getting an early look at how well the treatment works. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
61% of patients with advanced melanoma saw their tumors shrink with this two-drug combination.
The Lancet. Oncology · 2017 · NCT02089685
These findings — that saw their tumors shrink with the combination treatment — were published in the The Lancet. Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 295 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with kidney cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an early-stage study testing a dose combination. Both pembrolizumab and ipilimumab are FDA-approved for melanoma, and combination approaches are now standard treatment options. Talk to your oncologist about whether immunotherapy combinations are right for your specific situation.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open kidney cancer trials
Integration of the PD-L1 Inhibitor Atezolizumab and WT1/DC Vaccination Into Platinum/Pemetrexed-based First-line Treatment for Epithelioid Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
In this multicenter phase I/II trial, the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor atezolizumab and dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with the mesothelioma-associated tumor antigen WT1 will be integrated into platinum/pemetrexed-based first-line chemotherapy for the treatment of epitheloid malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The general objective is to provide the first-in-human experimental demonstration that the combination of platinum/pemetrexed-based chemotherapy with atezolizumab and WT1/DC vaccination is feasible and safe, has clinical activity and enables the induction of mesothelioma-specific immune responses in patients with MPM.
Application of the "Off-Clamp And Sutureless" Technique in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy
The detection rate of renal masses smaller than 7 cm has significantly increased in recent years. To preserve postoperative renal function to the greatest extent possible, guidelines from the European Association of Urology (EAU), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and others have endorsed partial nephrectomy (PN) as the preferred treatment strategy for small renal masses. In conventional PN, it is necessary to clamp the renal artery or its branch arteries and employ a double-layer suturing technique to close the resection bed. This controls bleeding, maintains a clear surgical field, and prevents postoperative urinary leakage. The maximum safe duration of warm ischemia to avoid irreversible renal parenchymal damage remains controversial, though most studies indicate a window of 20-30 minutes. Consequently, the "off-clamp sutureless" concept has gained prominence. Its core principle is to avoid renal artery clamping and replace suturing with novel haemostatic techniques, thereby maximizing the preservation of healthy renal parenchyma. With the diversification of haemostatic material options and the widespread adoption of robotic-assisted systems, the off-clamp sutureless strategy has become technically feasible for small renal masses with low complexity . Multiple retrospective studies demonstrate that the off-clamp sutureless technique is non-inferior, offering safety and surgical outcomes comparable to conventional robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). However, it is important to note that current research predominantly focuses on tumors ≤4 cm, is largely retrospective, and suffers from limited sample sizes. More robust, evidence-based medical evidence is required to support its application for larger tumors or those with complex anatomy.