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Nivolumab in previously treated patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: a guide to its use

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Abstract

Nivolumab (Opdivo®), an anti-programmed death (PD)-1 receptor antibody, is a useful addition to the options available to treat previously treated patients with advanced (i.e. inoperable and/or metastatic) renal cell carcinoma. By blocking the interactions between the PD-1 receptor and PD-ligand (PD-L) 1 and PD-L2, nivolumab enhances T-cell response against tumour cells and increases cytokine production. Nivolumab treatment significantly improved overall survival and objective response rates compared with everolimus and had a manageable tolerability profile in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who had received prior treatment.

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Acknowledgements

The manuscript was reviewed by: D. Cella, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Evanston, IL, USA; G. Niegisch, Medical Faculty, Department of Urology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany; K. Saito, Department of Urology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. Changes resulting from comments received were made on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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Correspondence to Karly P. Garnock-Jones.

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The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

Conflict of interest

K.P. Garnock-Jones and K.A. Lyseng-Williamson are salaried employees of Adis/Springer, are responsible for the article content and declare no conflicts of interest.

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Garnock-Jones, K.P., Lyseng-Williamson, K.A. Nivolumab in previously treated patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: a guide to its use. Drugs Ther Perspect 33, 167–173 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-017-0377-y

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