Dr. George on Critical Clinical Trials in Kidney Cancer

Daniel J. George, MD, Director, GU Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses critical phase III clinical trials in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

The ADAPT study, George says, is looking at patients with newly diagnosed mRCC who have undergone a nephrectomy. Two out of three patients in the study are given a combination therapy of sunitinib malate (Sutent) plus an autologous tumor vaccine called AGS-003. The other arm receives sunitinib alone. As these patients have a more accelerated disease, participation in a study like this could give these patients hope for a better outcome, George says.

Another study, George says, is analyzing the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab versus everolimus. George says this study is an important proof-of-concept using an anti-PD-1 in patients who have failed a primary VEGF receptor TKI compared to everolimus, a standard care in mRCC.

The effects of a new VEGF receptor TKI called cabozantinib are also being studied against everolimus, George says. In addition to blocking VEGF, cabozantinib also blocks a MET receptor that may play a role in angiogenesis.

These three trials, George says, will give physicians insight going forward to how to better use these agents and produce better outcomes for patients with kidney cancer.

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