Dr. Nanus Discusses Immunotherapy in Kidney Cancer

David M. Nanus, MD, medical oncologist, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of patients with kidney cancer.

Immunotherapy is a promising therapy for patients with kidney cancer, says Nanus. There are preliminary results from many studies that show exciting results. The use of immunotherapy has a lot of rationale and is generating a lot of excitement, Nanus adds. However, there are questions as to when would be the best time to use immunotherapy. The concept of giving some immunotherapy first so immune system can recognize the tumor, then remove the tumor surgically, and then continuing immunotherapy appears to be an effective strategy.

There is a large trial using 2 cycles of nivolumab (Opdivo), followed by surgery and then the patient is given more nivolumab. Throughout multiple cancer types, there seems to be a role for immunotherapy for high-risk, relapsed patients, especially since the toxicity profile is good, Nanus explains. There will be combination studies of immunotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Overall, there is a lot of hope and optimism that immunotherapy is going to improve the outcome of these patients.