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Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (Anti-CTLA4, Anti-PD-1) in RCC

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Renal Cell Carcinoma

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Abstract

Historically, treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has included the immune therapies interleukin-2 (IL2) and interferon alpha (IFN-α). In recent years, “targeted” therapies which block VEGF or mTOR pathways have become the standard of care and have replaced immune therapy for front-line treatment of metastatic RCC. While these targeted therapies have been shown to prolong survival, many come with significant toxicities and responses are temporary. The durable responses seen in patients treated with IL-2 provide proof of concept that immunotherapy has the potential for lasting clinical benefit in a subset of RCC patients. However, low response rates and significant toxicity limit the widespread use of IL-2 (Margolin et al. J Clin Oncol 7:486–498, 1989). Newer immune therapies have the potential to offer durable responses without the side effect profile of conventional cytokine-based immunotherapy. These therapies target important regulatory pathways of the immune system, so-called checkpoints, and include cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-1 (PD-1), and programmed death ligand-1 (PDL-1). This chapter will focus on the use of checkpoint inhibitors in RCC, both previously studied therapies and novel agents currently in development.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dana Farber Community Cancer Care, 51 Performance Drive Suite 110, Weymouth, MA, USA

    Alexandra S. Bailey M.D.

  2. Department of Medicine, Dana-Farber, Harvard Cancer Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02446, USA

    David F. McDermott M.D.

Authors
  1. Alexandra S. Bailey M.D.
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  2. David F. McDermott M.D.
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Correspondence to David F. McDermott M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Pepper Pike, Ohio, USA

    Ronald M. Bukowski

  2. Division of Hematology Oncology, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Robert A. Figlin

  3. Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA

    Robert J. Motzer

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Bailey, A.S., McDermott, D.F. (2015). Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (Anti-CTLA4, Anti-PD-1) in RCC. In: Bukowski, R., Figlin, R., Motzer, R. (eds) Renal Cell Carcinoma. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1622-1_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1622-1_21

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1621-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1622-1

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