Pembrolizumab for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background:

• Acquired resistance to VEGF-inhibiting therapies necessitates alternative treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors, specifically PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors, represent a promising therapeutic avenue for mRCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical efficacy of pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, in first- and second-line mRCC treatment.
• To examine recent and ongoing studies, pharmacological properties, adverse events, and quality of life impacts associated with pembrolizumab therapy in mRCC.

Main Methods:

• Review of published and ongoing clinical studies on pembrolizumab for mRCC.
• Analysis of pharmacological characteristics, safety profiles, and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Results:

• Immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors, is a cornerstone in advanced RCC treatment.
• Combinations like axitinib plus pembrolizumab are emerging for first-line mRCC treatment, with ongoing evaluations for various regimens.

Conclusions:

• Defining optimal, personalized therapies for mRCC is crucial given multiple treatment options.
• Further research is required to directly compare different treatment regimens, including tyrosine kinase inhibitor plus immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations, using predictive biomarkers and long-term endpoints such as treatment-free survival.