Urologie pro praxi 2/2017

Renal carcinoma and immunotherapy

Although immunotherapy in patients with metastatic renal cancer is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance, the disease still remains incurable. The use of various checkpoint inhibitors and anti-tumour vaccines, however, leads to further prolongation of survival of patients with this condition. The results of phase III trials with the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab are already available, with the next ones being eagerly anticipated. Moreover, enrolment has been completed for the phase III ADAPT trial in which a targeted therapy is combined with an anti-tumour vaccine; the results of the phase II trial with this therapy are very promising. The present review deals with both checkpoint inhibitors and some vaccines. Due to their marginal importance nowadays, treatment with cytokines is dealt with only briefly even though their use in combination with the existing treatment or at high doses in various genotypes of renal cancer cannot be excluded in the future.

Keywords: renal carcinoma, immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines.