High-risk Renal Cell Carcinoma Research Articles

Perioperative systemic therapy in high-risk renal cell carcinoma following nephrectomy: a narrative review.

For patients with resectable renal cell carcinoma (RCC), extirpative surgery with curative intent remains the standard of care. Despite surgical resection, most patients with high-risk features experience disease recurrence. The role of perioperative systemic therapy in the management of these patients' disease remains unclear. Several studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs); however, most trials have yielded negative results. Adjuvant pembrolizumab demonstrated a disease-free survival benefit in the KEYNOTE-564 trial; however, multiple studies of other immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in a similar patient population did not yield consistent results. This review summarizes the current evidence for perioperative systemic therapy studies in RCC. The PubMed, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and clinicaltrials.gov databases were used to retrieve articles published from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2023 using the following search terms: "adjuvant", "neoadjuvant", "perioperative", "VEGF inhibitors", "immune checkpoint inhibitors", and "renal cell carcinoma". The search was limited to articles published in English. We summarize the major perioperative systemic therapy studies in RCC patients and provide an analysis of study outcomes, comparing differences in trial design and patient selection. We also discuss ongoing trials and the emergence of novel biomarkers designed to improve patient selection. The optimal use of perioperative systemic therapy in high-risk RCC is an area of active investigation. The use of adjuvant TKIs failed to demonstrate a survival benefit and was limited by high rates of toxicity. Several neoadjuvant and adjuvant ICI-based combination studies are being carried out to further improve clinical outcomes. Further studies will be needed to identify effective biomarkers to improve patient selection while avoiding overtreatment.

Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 as a Prognostic Marker in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly aggressive malignancy accounting for the majority of kidney cancers. Despite recent advancements in therapeutic options, the prognosis for advanced-stage RCC remains poor. Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1) plays a crucial role in cholesterol absorption and has been implicated in cancer progression across various cancers. However, its expression patterns and prognostic significance in RCC remain unclear. In this study, NPC1L1 expression in normal and RCC tissues, including subtypes, was compared using TCGA, GEPIA2, and The Human Protein Atlas. Clinical correlations were assessed, and the impact of NPC1L1 on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated. Gene effect scores were analyzed using the DepMap tool to determine the involvement of NPC1L1 in RCC progression. NPC1L1 expression was significantly lower in RCC tissues compared to normal tissues, particularly in the clear cell RCC (ccRCC), papillary RCC (pRCC), and chromophobe RCC (chRCC) subtypes, but increased in advanced tumor stages. Higher NPC1L1 expression was associated with worse OS and PFS in RCC patients. Multivariable Cox regression confirmed NPC1L1 as an independent prognostic marker. Additionally, gene effect scores showed that NPC1L1 is essential for the survival of specific RCC cell lines. This study determines NPC1L1 as an independent prognostic indicator in RCC, with higher expression associated with poor survival outcomes. These findings suggest that NPC1L1 could serve as a valuable marker for identifying high-risk RCC patients. Further research is required to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of NPC1L1 in RCC progression.

Perioperative nivolumab versus observation in patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing nephrectomy (PROSPER ECOG-ACRIN EA8143): an open-label, randomised, phase 3 study

The standard of care for patients with intermediate-to-high risk renal cell carcinoma is partial or radical nephrectomy followed by surveillance. We aimed to investigate use of nivolumab before nephrectomy followed by adjuvant nivolumab in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma to determine recurrence-free survival compared with surgery only. In this open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial (PROSPER EA8143), patients were recruited from 183 community and academic sites across the USA and Canada. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, with previously untreated clinical stage T2 or greater or Tany N+ renal cell carcinoma of clear cell or non-clear cell histology planned for partial or radical nephrectomy. Selected patients with oligometastatic disease, who were disease free at other disease sites within 12 weeks of surgery, were eligible for inclusion. We randomly assigned (1:1) patients using permuted blocks (block size of 4) within stratum (clinical TNM stage) to either nivolumab plus surgery, or surgery only followed by surveillance. In the nivolumab group, nivolumab 480 mg was administered before surgery, followed by nine adjuvant doses. The primary endpoint was investigator-reviewed recurrence-free survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma assessed in all randomly assigned patients regardless of histology. Safety was assessed in all randomly assigned patients who started the assigned protocol treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03055013, and is closed to accrual. Between Feb 2, 2017, and June 2, 2021, 819 patients were randomly assigned to nivolumab plus surgery (404 [49%]) or surgery only (415 [51%]). 366 (91%) of 404 patients assigned to nivolumab plus surgery and 387 (93%) of 415 patients assigned to surgery only group started treatment. Median age was 61 years (IQR 53-69), 248 (30%) of 819 patients were female, 571 (70%) were male, 672 (88%) were White, and 77 (10%) were Hispanic or Latino. The Data and Safety Monitoring Committee stopped the trial at a planned interim analysis (March 25, 2022) because of futility. Median follow-up was 30·4 months (IQR 21·5-42·4) in the nivolumab group and 30·1 months (21·9-41·8) in the surgery only group. 381 (94%) of 404 patients in the nivolumab plus surgery group and 399 (96%) of 415 in the surgery only group had renal cell carcinoma and were included in the recurrence-free survival analysis. As of data cutoff (May 24, 2023), recurrence-free survival was not significantly different between nivolumab (125 [33%] of 381 had recurrence-free survival events) versus surgery only (133 [33%] of 399; hazard ratio 0·94 [95% CI 0·74-1·21]; one-sided p=0·32). The most common treatment-related grade 3-4 adverse events were elevated lipase (17 [5%] of 366 patients in the nivolumab plus surgery group vs none in the surgery only group), anaemia (seven [2%] vs nine [2%]), increased alanine aminotransferase (ten [3%] vs one [<1%]), abdominal pain (four [1%] vs six [2%]), and increased serum amylase (nine [2%] vs none). 177 (48%) patients in the nivolumab plus surgery group and 93 (24%) in the surgery only group had grade 3-5 adverse events due to any cause, the most common of which were anaemia (23 [6%] vs 19 [5%]), hypertension (27 [7%] vs nine [2%]), and elevated lipase (18 [5%] vs six [2%]). 48 (12%) of 404 patients in the nivolumab group and 40 (10%) of 415 in the surgery only group died, of which eight (2%) and three (1%), respectively, were determined to be treatment-related. Perioperative nivolumab before nephrectomy followed by adjuvant nivolumab did not improve recurrence-free survival versus surgery only followed by surveillance in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma. US National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Real-world study on the characteristics, post-nephrectomy journey, and outcomes of patients with early-stage renal cell carcinoma based on risk groups.

To examine real-world characteristics, journey, and outcomes among patients with locoregional, nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A retrospective analysis of medical records from the ConcertAI Oncology Dataset was performed on adults in the United States with newly diagnosed nonmetastatic RCC between January 2012-December 2017 who received surgical treatment, and were followed until August 2021. Patients were stratified based on the risk of recurrence after nephrectomy. Recurrence rate and survival outcomes were assessed. The cohort (n = 439) had a median age of 64 years, 66.1% were male, and 76.5% had clear-cell histology. The median follow-up time from nephrectomy was 39.3 months overall, 41.0 months for intermediate-high-risk patients (n = 377; 85.9%) and 24.1 months for high-risk patients (n = 62; 14.1%). For intermediate-high- and high-risk patients, respectively, 68.4% and 56.5% had ≥1 medical oncologist visit after nephrectomy. Of 260 patients with documentation of postoperative imaging assessments, 72% were ordered by medical oncologists, and the median time from initial nephrectomy to the first scan was 110 days (intermediate-high-risk) and 51 days (high-risk). Provider-documented recurrence occurred in 223 (50.8%) patients, of whom 41.7% had ≥1 medical oncologist visit before the recurrence. Three-year disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival rates were 49.4% and 80.8% (all patients): 27.7% and 64.7% (high-risk); and 52.9% and 83.3% (intermediate-high-risk). Our study reports low DFS after nephrectomy for patients with intermediate-high- and high-risk RCC. Subsequent approval and use of new and newly approved adjuvant therapeutic options could potentially delay or prevent recurrence.

SPP1 expression indicates outcome of immunotherapy plus tyrosine kinase inhibition in advanced renal cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT Clinical guidelines have recently advised combination therapy involving immunotherapy (IO) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) as the first-line therapy approach for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Nevertheless, there is currently no available biomarker that can effectively distinguish the progression-free survival (PFS). RNA-sequencing and immunohistochemistry were conducted on our cohort of metastatic RCC patients, namely ZS-MRCC, who received combination therapy consisting of IO and TKI. We further applied RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry to examine the immune cell infiltration and functionality inside the tumor microenvironment of high-risk localized RCC samples. SPP1 expression was significantly higher in non-responders to IO-TKI therapy. Elevated levels of SPP1 were associated with poor PFS in both the ZS-MRCC cohort (HR = 2.73, p = .018) and validated in the JAVELIN Renal 101 cohort (HR = 1.61, p = .004). By multivariate Cox analysis, SPP1 was identified as a significant independent prognosticator. Furthermore, there existed a negative correlation between elevated levels of SPP1 and the presence of GZMB+CD8+ T cells (Spearman’s ρ= −0.48, p < .001). Conversely, SPP1 expression is associated with T cell exhaustion markers. A significant increase in the abundance of Tregs was observed in tumors with high levels of SPP1. Additionally, a machine-learning-based model was constructed to predict the benefit of IO-TKI treatment. High SPP1 is associated with therapeutic resistance and unfavorable PFS in IO-TKI therapy. SPP1 expression have also been observed to be indicative of malfunction and exhaustion in T cells. Increased SPP1 expression has the potential to serve as a potential biomarker for treatment selection of metastatic RCC.

ASO Visual Abstract: Predicting Recurrence After Radical Surgery for High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma: Development and Internal Validation of the 'TOWARDS' Score.

ASO Visual Abstract: Predicting Recurrence After Radical Surgery for High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma: Development and Internal Validation of the 'TOWARDS' Score.

ASO Author Reflections: Recurrence Risk Prediction in High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma: Where We Stand.

ASO Author Reflections: Recurrence Risk Prediction in High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma: Where We Stand.

Prognostic Value of the Lung Immune Prognostic Index on Recurrence after Radical Surgery for High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma.

With emerging options in immediate postoperative settings for high-risk renal cell carcinoma (hrRCC), further risk stratification may be relevant for informed decision making. Balancing the benefits and drawbacks of adjuvant immunotherapy is recommended. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) in this setting. This bi-institutional retrospective study recruited 235 patients who underwent radical surgery for hrRCC between 2004 and 2021. LIPI scores were calculated based on the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase levels. The association between LIPI scores and local or distant recurrence was analyzed, along with other possible clinical factors. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) period was 36.4 months. Based on the LIPI scores, 119, 91, and 25 patients were allocated to the good, intermediate, and poor groups, respectively. The RFS was significantly correlated with the LIPI scores, and the 36 month survival rates were 67.3, 36.2, and 11.0% in the good, intermediate, and poor groups, respectively. In the multivariate model, the LIPI independently predicted the RFS, along with symptoms at diagnosis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, pT status, pN status, and tumor grade. The C-index of the LIPI in predicting RFS was 0.63, and prediction accuracy improved with the addition of the LIPI to both GRade, Age, Nodes, Tumor, and the UCLA Integrated Staging System. Conclusively, the LIPI can be a significant prognostic biomarker for predicting hrRCC recurrence, particularly for identifying the highest-risk cohort.

Comparative analysis of outcomes of neoadjuvant and adjuvant systemic therapy in non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A propensity score-matched analysis from the INMARC registry.

414 Background: Receipt of adjuvant therapy has become a standard of care for management of high risk localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with emerging literature demonstrating longer disease-free survival. Neoadjuvant approaches have been utilized investigationally to facilitate complete surgical resections in high risk and complex renal masses. We sought to evaluate outcomes of patients treated with neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy in non-metastatic RCC utilizing a propensity score model. Methods: We queried the INMARC database for patients with localized surgically treated RCC who underwent systemic neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. Neoadjuvant therapy was defined as presurgical therapy given in the setting of localized disease and adjuvant therapy as systemic therapy given postoperatively in the absence of documented metastases. Patients with metastases at time of diagnosis were excluded from the analysis. A propensity score match (PSM) model in a 1:3 ratio was conducted within a caliper width of 0.1 including: age, sex, hypertension, Charlson Comorbidity Index, tumor size, tumor necrosis, stage, surgical margin, tumor grade and type of surgery [radical vs. partial nephrectomy]. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality (ACM), and secondary outcome was cancer-specific mortality (CSM). Multivariable analysis (MVA) via Cox regression was fitted for the outcomes of interest. Kaplan-Meier analysis (KMA) for overall (OS), cancer specific survival (CSS) was conducted for 5-year survival assessment. Results: After PSM 293 patients were analyzed [adjuvant n=203, (69.2%), 109 targeted therapy (TT) vs. 94 immunotherapy; neoadjuvant n=90, (30.7%), 59 TT vs. 31 immunotherapy]; median follow up was 50 (IQR 20-76) months from surgery . MVA revealed adjuvant vs. neoadjuvant (HR 1.98, p=0.007) and positive margin (HR 2.01, p=0.046) to be associated with increased risk of ACM; immunotherapy vs. TT (HR 0.47, p=0.001) was associated with a decreased risk. MVA for CSM revealed that adjuvant vs. neoadjuvant (HR 2.18, p=0.016) and positive margin (HR 2.41, p=0.028) were associated with increased risk of CSM, while immunotherapy vs. TT (HR 0.35, p&lt;0.001) was associated with decreased risk. KMA comparing neoadjuvant vs. adjuvant 5-year OS was 80.4% vs. 64.8% (p=0.04), while CSS was 88.1% vs. 76.2% (p=0.03). Conclusions: In a comparison of patients with localized RCC who underwent adjuvant or neoadjuvant systemic therapy, receipt of neoadjuvant therapy was associated with superior survival outcomes. These findings are hypothesis generating and call for consideration for a clinical trial to compare outcomes of adjuvant vs. neoadjuvant therapy in high-risk localized RCC.

Predicting Recurrence After Radical Surgery for High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma: Development and Internal Validation of the "TOWARDS" Score.

Considering the reported greater benefits of immunotherapy and its unignorable adverse events in adjuvant therapy for high-risk renal cell carcinoma (hrRCC), accurate prediction may optimize drug use. The primary objective of this study was to generate a score-based prognostic model of recurrence-free survival in hrRCC. The study retrospectively evaluated 456 patients at two institutions who underwent radical surgery for nonmetastatic pT3-4 and/or N1-2 or pT2 and G4 disease. Clinical variables deemed universally available were selected through backward stepwise analysis and fitted by a multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. A point-based score was derived from regression coefficients. Discrimination, calibration, and decision curve analyses were conducted to evaluate predictive performance. Internal validation with bootstrapping was performed to correct for optimism. The mean follow-up period was 55.3months, and the median follow-up period was 28.0 months. During the follow-up period, the recurrence rate was 48.2% (n=220) during a median of 75.7 months. Stepwise variable selection retained age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, presence or absence of symptoms, size of the primary tumor, pathologic T stage, pathologic N stage, tumor grade, and histology. Subsequently, the TOWARDS score (range 0-53) was developed from these variables. Internal validation showed an optimism-corrected C-index of 0.723 and a calibration slope of 0.834. The decision curve analysis showed the superiority of this score over the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Integrated Staging System and GRade, Age, Nodes, and Tumor score. The authors' novel TOWARDS scoring model had good accuracy for predicting disease recurrence in patients with hrRCC, and the clinical practicability was superior to that of the existing models.

Role of clinicopathological variables in predicting recurrence and survival outcomes after surgery for non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 2% of all diagnosed malignancies worldwide, with disease recurrence affecting 20% to 40% of patients. Existing prognostic recurrence models based on clinicopathological features continue to be a subject of controversy. In this meta-analysis, we summarized research findings that explored the correlation between clinicopathological characteristics and post-surgery survival outcomes in non-metastatic RCC patients. Our analysis incorporates 99 publications spanning 140 568 patients. The study's main findings indicate that the following clinicopathological characteristics were associated with unfavorable survival outcomes: T stage, tumor grade, tumor size, lymph node involvement, tumor necrosis, sarcomatoid features, positive surgical margins (PSM), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), early recurrence, constitutional symptoms, poor performance status (PS), low hemoglobin level, high body-mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension. All of which emerged as predictors for poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival. Clear cell (CC) subtype, urinary collecting system invasion (UCSI), capsular penetration, perinephric fat invasion, renal vein invasion (RVI) and increased C-reactive protein (CRP) were all associated with poor RFS. In contrast, age, sex, tumor laterality, nephrectomy type and approach had no impact on survival outcomes. As part of an additional analysis, we attempted to assess the association between these characteristics and late recurrences (relapses occurring more than 5 years after surgery). Nevertheless, we did not find any prediction capabilities for late disease recurrences among any of the features examined. Our findings highlight the prognostic significance of various clinicopathological characteristics potentially aiding in the identification of high-risk RCC patients and enhancing the development of more precise prediction models.

Predictors of disease recurrence in high-risk non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients post-surgical resection A single-center, retrospective study.

Approximately 20-40% of kidney cancer patients treated for localized disease experience post-surgical recurrence. Several prognostic models exist to help clinicians determine the risk of distant recurrence, but these models vary in criteria and endpoints. We aimed to examine the recurrence rate and clinicopathologic factors as predictors of recurrence in high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. We conducted a single-center, retrospective chart review of pT3 RCC patients who underwent a nephrectomy between January 2000 and December 2015. Patients registered in clinical trials for adjuvant therapy and those with fewer than three years of followup were excluded. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression were performed to identify the rate and predictors of disease recurrence. Eighty-eight pT3 RCC patients were included, and 39 patients had recurrence with a median of 23.5 months (range 1.6-127.5). Nine patients had disease recurrence beyond 58 months. Kaplan-Meier log-rank tests identified patients with negative surgical margins and low Fuhrman nuclear grades had greater recurrence-free survival. Univariate Cox regression revealed positive surgical margins, high Fuhrman nuclear grade, and large tumor sizes were significant predictors. In the multivariate Cox regression model, high Fuhrman nuclear grade and positive surgical margins were significant predictors of recurrence. Disease recurrence occurred in 44% of pT3-staged patients. High Fuhrman nuclear grade and positive surgical margins were associated with time to recurrence. Physicians should use prognostic models to facilitate conversations about disease recurrence and continue to monitor high-risk patients beyond the recommended five-year followup period. We recommend monitoring pT3 resected patients for up to 10 years post-surgery.

Characterization of tumor microenvironment and sensitive chemotherapy drugs based on cuproptosis-related signatures in renal cell carcinoma.

Cuproptosis is a novel type of copper-induced cell death and is considered as a new therapeutic target for many cancers. Distant metastases occur in about 40% of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with a poor 5-year prognosis of about 10%. Through a series of comprehensive analyses, four differentially expressed cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (DECRLs) were identified as candidate biomarkers for RCC. The risk model constructed by using these four DECRLs can better predict the prognosis of patients with RCC, which is determined by the receiver operating characteristic (Time dependent area under curve value at 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year were 0.82, 0.80, 0.76, and 0.73 respectively). There were significant differences in immune status between high-risk and low-risk RCC patients. The differentially expressed gene enrichment terms between high- and low-risk patients was also dominated by immune-related terms. The risk score was also correlated with immunotherapy as measured by the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score. In addition, we also found that the sensitivity of many chemotherapy drugs varies widely between high- and low-risk patients. The sensitivity of the three chemotherapy drugs (AZD4547, Vincristine, and WEHI-539) varied among high- and low-risk patients, and was significantly negatively correlated with risk values, suggesting that they could be used as clinical treatment drugs for RCC. Our study not only obtained four potential biomarkers, but also provided guidance for immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatment of RCC, as well as new research strategies for the screening of other cancer biomarkers and sensitive drugs.

Efficacy of Therapy vs Surveillance in Patients with Resected Early-Stage Intermediate to High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The historical standard of care for locally advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is nephrectomy + active surveillance. Despite a high recurrence rate ( 40%), adjuvant therapy was previously not included in the standard of care. This review of adjuvant pharmacotherapy reflects conflicting results from multiple trials. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to summarize the efficacy of therapy vs surveillance in resected early-stage intermediate to high-risk renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS. Keywords such as “renal cell carcinoma”, “adjuvant therapy” and “nephrectomy” were used. In the literature search, 2,711 studies were identified and screened. RESULTS: We included a total of 21 publications. The most common histology seen in trials was clear cell carcinoma. A variety of interventions were reviewed including immunotherapy, medroxyprogesterone acetate, interferon alfa, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Most trials did not demonstrate a benefit in relapse-free survival (RPS) or overall survival (OS). Pembrolizumab demonstrated a significant difference in disease recurrence in the KEYNOTE-564 trial although median data was not reached. Blinded independent reviewers identified a benefit in disease-free survival (DFS) with Sunitinib in the S-TRAC trial. CONCLUSION: There was not a clear benefit in using adjuvant therapy broadly for resected locoregional RCC; however, further investigation should be done in the highest-risk group to elucidate potential benefit.

Proposed triggers for retiring a living systematic review

Living systematic reviews (LSRs) are systematic reviews that are continually updated, incorporating relevant new evidence as it becomes available. LSRs are critical for decision-making in topics where the evidence continues...

Adjuvant immunotherapy for patients with renal cell carcinoma at increased risk of recurrence following resection: A National Cancer Database analysis.

649 Background: Radical nephrectomy is the standard management for locoregional renal cell carcinoma (RCC); however, patients with adverse pathological features are at increased risk of recurrence. IMmotion010 and KeyNote 564 trials investigated the adjuvant role of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for high-risk clear cell RCC (ccRCC) and have yielded conflicting results. We aimed to investigate real-world survival outcomes associated with the adjuvant use of ICI in high-risk ccRCC using the National Cancer Database Methods: In this nationwide contemporary cohort study, patients with newly diagnosed non-metastatic high-risk clear cell RCC undergoing radical nephrectomy between 2015-2019 were included. High-risk RCC was defined as cT2 with Fuhrman grade 4 or cT3a with Fuhrman grade 3/4 or cT3b/T3c/T4 with any grade, or TxN+ any grade. Patients receiving adjuvant ICI were classified as Group A and patients who did not receive adjuvant ICI were classified as Group B. Inverse probability weighting (IPW)-adjusted Kaplan Meier curves were utilized to compare overall survival (OS) between the groups and cox proportional hazard models were utilized to identify the predictors for OS. Results: Overall, 768 patients met the inclusion criteria; 270 patients in Group A and 498 patients in Group B. The mean age was 60.5(10.6) years, and 70.8% of patients were males (Table). The use of ICI in the adjuvant setting for high-risk RCC increased from 17.4% in 2015 to 61.8% in 2019. The unadjusted and IPW-adjusted Kaplan Meier 5-year overall survival was similar in the two groups [Unadjusted: 36.8% in Group A vs 50.1% in Group B, p=0.30 and adjusted: 39.5% in Group A vs 47.9% in Group B, p=0.17]. The use of adjuvant ICI did not appear to be an independent predictor for OS on multivariable cox regression analysis (HR=1.14, p=0.31) Conclusions: Adjuvant ICI therapy in non-metastatic high-risk ccRCC might not be associated with a benefit in overall survival. [Table: see text]

Adjuvant immunotherapy in renal cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

671 Background: There has been interest in adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) following surgical resection in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) given high recurrence rates and approvals of ICI in metastatic RCC. The primary objective of this analysis was to synthesize available data regarding the disease-free survival (DFS) benefit of adjuvant ICIs for patients with RCC. Methods: This systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022361599). We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and relevant conference proceedings to identify phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing adjuvant ICI versus placebo/observation. The primary outcome of interest was DFS. Results: Among the four included studies, one demonstrated a significant DFS benefit. There was considerable clinical and statistical heterogeneity (I2=64%) due to differences in inclusion criteria and interventions. While pooled results across the four studies did not demonstrate a significant benefit in DFS overall (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.69-1.04), there was significant benefit among patients with positive PD-L1 expression (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55-0.94) or sarcomatoid features (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38-0.91). Conclusions: The evidence base to date regarding ICI as adjuvant therapy in RCC is mixed – conclusions are limited by considerable heterogeneity between studies. However, pooled analyses suggest that patients with positive PDL1 expression or sarcomatoid features are most likely to benefit from adjuvant immunotherapy.

Disease-free survival as a predictor of overall survival in localized renal cell carcinoma following initial nephrectomy: A retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare datac.

This study aimed to assess whether disease-free survival (DFS) may serve as a predictor for long-term survival among patients with intermediate-high risk or high risk renal cell carcinoma (RCC) post-nephrectomy when overall survival (OS) is unavailable. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database (2007-2016) was used to identify patients with non-metastatic intermediate-high risk and high risk RCC post-nephrectomy. Landmark analysis and Kendall's τ were used to evaluate the correlation between DFS and OS. Multivariable regression models were used to quantify the incremental OS post-nephrectomy associated with increased time to recurrence among patients with recurrence, adjusting for baseline covariates. A total of 643 patients were analyzed; mean age of 75 years; >95% of patients had intermediate-high risk RCC at diagnosis; 269 patients had recurrence post-nephrectomy. For patients with versus without recurrence at the landmark points of 1, 3, and 5 years post-nephrectomy, the 5-year OS were 37.0% versus 70.1%, 42.3% versus 72.8%, and 53.2% versus 78.6%, respectively. The Kendall's τ between DFS and OS post-nephrectomy was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65, 0.74; p < 0.001). After adjusting for baseline covariates, patients with one additional year of time to recurrence were associated with 0.73 years longer OS post-nephrectomy (95% CI: 0.40, 1.05; p < 0.001). The significant positive association of DFS and OS among patients with intermediate-high risk and high risk RCC post-nephrectomy from this study supports the use of DFS as a potential predictor of OS for these patients when OS data are immature.

Adjuvant ipilimumab and nivolumab in renal cell carcinoma: more questions than answers

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab (a PD-1 inhibitor), nivolumab (a PD-1 inhibitor), and ipilimumab (a CTLA-4 inhibitor), are widely used in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. 1 Powles T Albiges L Bex A et al. ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline update on the use of immunotherapy in early stage and advanced renal cell carcinoma. Ann Oncol. 2021; 32: 1511-1519 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Google Scholar Single-agent PD-1 inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab or nivolumab, have activity in advanced disease. 2 Motzer RJ Escudier B McDermott DF et al. Nivolumab versus everolimus in advanced renal-cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373: 1803-1813 Crossref PubMed Scopus (4094) Google Scholar , 3 McDermott DF Lee JL Bjarnason GA et al. Open-label, single-arm phase II study of pembrolizumab monotherapy as first-line therapy in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 2021; 39: 1020-1028 Crossref PubMed Scopus (89) Google Scholar Adjuvant pembrolizumab significantly improved disease-free survival after nephrectomy for patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma in the KEYNOTE-564 study, and also produced an immature trend towards better overall survival. 4 Choueiri TK Tomczak P Park SH et al. Adjuvant pembrolizumab after nephrectomy in renal-cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2021; 385: 683-694 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar Adjuvant nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus placebo for localised renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy (CheckMate 914): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trialAdjuvant therapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab did not improve disease-free survival versus placebo in patients with localised renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy. Our study results do not support this regimen for the adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Full-Text PDF

Impact of preoperative C-reactive protein level on oncological outcomes after nephrectomy in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma: An analysis from the International Marker Consortium for Renal Cancer (INMARC) cohort

Impact of preoperative C-reactive protein level on oncological outcomes after nephrectomy in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma: An analysis from the International Marker Consortium for Renal Cancer (INMARC) cohort