What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 12 patients with kidney cancer. The study was sponsored by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 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
Nearly half of kidney transplant patients with advanced skin cancer responded to this immunotherapy.
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024 · NCT04339062
These findings — that tumors shrank in nearly half of kidney transplant patients with advanced skin cancer — were published in the Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 12 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
If you've had a kidney transplant and developed advanced skin cancer, this early study suggests immunotherapy might help — without causing you to reject your transplanted kidney. The treatment is FDA-approved for advanced skin cancer in the general population, but this approach for transplant patients is still being studied. Talk to your transplant team and oncologist about whether this option makes sense for you.
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
A Phase 3 Study of Tabelecleucel for Participants With Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease After Failure With Rituximab or Rituximab and Chemotherapy
The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical benefit and characterize the safety profile of tabelecleucel for the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD) in the setting of (1) solid organ transplant (SOT) after failure of rituximab (SOT-R) and rituximab plus chemotherapy (SOT-R+C) or (2) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) after failure of rituximab.
IDOV-Immune for Advanced Solid Tumors
This is a Phase I clinical trial evaluating an investigational treatment called IDOV-Immune, a type of oncolytic virus therapy, for adults with advanced solid tumors that have not responded to standard treatments. Oncolytic viruses are designed to infect and destroy cancer cells and have the potential to stimulate the immune system to fight the tumor. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety of IDOV-Immune, how well it is tolerated, and to identify the highest dose that can be safely given. Researchers will also study how the drug behaves in the body, how the immune system responds to it, and whether it shows any signs of shrinking tumors. Participants will receive a single intravenous (IV) infusion of IDOV-Immune and will be closely monitored for side effects and any changes in their cancer. This study is being conducted at multiple sites in the United States and Australia.