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Neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy in renal cell carcinoma

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Abstract

Objective

The treatment landscape for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rapidly evolving. The aim of this review is to summarize the randomized-controlled trials evaluating the role of immunotherapy in neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting.

Materials and methods

We searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies including neoadjuvant or adjuvant immunotherapy, and provided a brief overview of the pharmacodynamics of immunotherapy for RCC.

Results

Several drugs are currently under investigation. In the neoadjuvant setting, four studies are evaluating the role of single-agent immunotherapy, one of dual-agent immunotherapy, and four studies the role of immunotherapy in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors or anti-interleukin-1 beta. In the adjuvant setting, two studies are evaluating the role of single-agent immunotherapy and two of dual-agent immunotherapy.

Conclusions

The approval of immune checkpoint inhibition as a front-line therapeutic strategy for advanced RCC has also ultimately led to the investigation of these agents first in the adjuvant and then in the neoadjuvant setting. Currently, there are nine studies aimed to evaluate the role of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting and four studies in the adjuvant setting.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Urology, University Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

    Alberto Martini, Giuseppe Fallara, Francesco Pellegrino, Giuseppe Ottone Cirulli, Alessandro Larcher, Andrea Necchi, Francesco Montorsi & Umberto Capitanio

  2. Division of Experimental Oncology, URI, Urological Research Institute, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

    Alberto Martini, Giuseppe Fallara, Francesco Pellegrino, Giuseppe Ottone Cirulli, Alessandro Larcher, Andrea Necchi, Francesco Montorsi & Umberto Capitanio

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  1. Alberto Martini
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  2. Giuseppe Fallara
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  3. Francesco Pellegrino
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  4. Giuseppe Ottone Cirulli
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  6. Andrea Necchi
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  7. Francesco Montorsi
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  8. Umberto Capitanio
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Contributions

AM: project development, data collection, and manuscript writing. GF: project development, data collection, and manuscript writing. FP: Project development. GOC: data collection. AL: manuscript editing. AN: manuscript editing, FM: manuscript editing. UC: project development, data collection, and manuscript editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Umberto Capitanio.

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Conflict of interest

A Necchi reports honoraria from Roche, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals; has served as a consultant or advisor for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Rainier Therapeutics, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Roche, Bayer, AstraZeneca, Clovis Oncology, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Incyte, BioClin Therapeutics, Seattle Genetics, and Astellas Pharma; has received research funding from Incyte, Merck Sharp & Dohme (institution), and AstraZeneca (institution); and has received travel funding from Roche, Merck Sharp & Dohme, AstraZeneca, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work.

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Martini, A., Fallara, G., Pellegrino, F. et al. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy in renal cell carcinoma. World J Urol 39, 1369–1376 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-020-03550-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-020-03550-z

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