Immunotherapy in GU Cancers

Tian Zhang, MD, discusses data from the randomized phase III IMvigor130 trial, which compared the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, atezolizumab monotherapy, and chemotherapy alone, in the frontline treatment of patients with metastatic urothelial cancer.

Combining nivolumab with the angiogenesis inhibitor tivozanib led to a high response rate and durable disease control in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, a preliminary open-label study showed.

Rupal S. Bhatt, MD, PhD, discusses the discovery of HHLA2/KIR3DL3, a novel therapeutic immune checkpoint pathway in renal cell carcinoma.

Brian I. Rini, MD, professor of medicine, Cleveland Clinic, discusses challenges with biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion to recommend approval of the combination of avelumab and axitinib for the frontline treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Guru P. Sonpavde, MD, director, Bladder Cancer, and physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the use of immunotherapy after progression on platinum-based therapy in advanced bladder cancer.

Robert Dreicer, MD, deputy director, UVA Cancer Center, director, Solid Tumor Oncology in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and a professor of Medicine and Urology, University of Virginia Health System, discusses response to immunotherapy in urothelial cancer.

Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) was associated with a median overall survival of 47.7 months in a subgroup of patients with asymptomatic or minimally invasive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Petros Grivas, MD, highlights the evolving role of immunotherapy in bladder cancer and ongoing research slated to further progress along.

Parminder Singh, MD, hematologist/oncologist, Mayo Clinic, discusses research being done with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in advanced bladder cancer.

The European Commission has approved the combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and axitinib (Inlyta) for the frontline treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Richard W. Joseph, MD, internist and oncologist, Mayo Clinic, discusses the combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and bevacizumab (Avastin) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Emerging immunotherapy combinations have offered a strong challenge to sunitinib (Sutent) in the setting of frontline advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Parminder Singh, MD, hematologist/oncologist, Mayo Clinic, discusses investigational immunotherapy combinations in urothelial cancer.

Matthew D. Galsky, MD, director, Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, discusses results from the HCRN GU14-182 study, which examined maintenance pembrolizumab versus placebo in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer.

By the end of 2018, the 57 oncology drugs launched from 2014 to 2018 had gained 89 indications across 23 cancer types. These new agents included numerous checkpoint inhibitors, which saw tremendous uptake based on their ability to dramatically improve patient outcomes.

Adding atezolizumab to platinum-based chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, according to results from the phase III IMvigor130 study.

Richard W. Joseph, MD, internist and oncologist, Mayo Clinic, discusses the process of selecting frontline therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has recommended approval of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with axitinib (Inlyta) for the frontline treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Guru P. Sonpavde, MD, director, Bladder Cancer, and physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses emerging immunotherapy approaches in bladder cancer.

Matthew Galsky, MD, discusses the HCRN GU14-182 study, which looked at maintenance pembrolizumab versus placebo after first-line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer.

David F. McDermott, MD, provides insight on pembrolizumab in non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the next steps for research in the overall RCC paradigm.

Evan Y. Yu, MD, professor, Department of Medical Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, member, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and clinical trials core director, Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses initial findings from the KEYNOTE-365 trial in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer mCRPC).

In the phase III PROSPER trial, investigators will attempt a novel approach in localized renal cell carcinoma: priming the immune system prior to nephrectomy with neoadjuvant nivolumab and continuing with adjuvant blockade. The study will be the first to combine neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy with standard of care nephrectomy.

Guru P. Sonpavde, MD, director, Bladder Cancer, and physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the biggest challenges in the field of bladder cancer.

Bradley McGregor, MD, clinical director, Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, senior physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and instructor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses unmet needs in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Recently, new data were presented for patients in different risk categories that significantly changed the surgical and medical management of patients with newly diagnosed metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Thomas Powles, MBBS, MRCP, MD, discusses the importance of accurately assessing the toxicity profiles of immunotherapies for renal cell carcinoma.

Robert Dreicer, MD, highlights the current state of immunotherapy in urothelial cancer and ongoing research poised to offer more information on how to broaden its effects.

Toni Choueiri, MD, discusses the use of checkpoint inhibitors to treat patients with sarcomatoid carcinoma.