Current Role of Immunotherapy for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma in the Era of Targeted Therapy

, Hyeong Gon Kim

Review Article

The Korean Journal of Urological Oncology 2009;7(3):109-112.
Published online December 1, 2009.

진행된 신세포암에 대한 면역치료의 역할: 표적치료 시대에서

김 형 곤

건국대학교 의학전문대학원 비뇨기과학교실

Current Role of Immunotherapy for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma in the Era of Targeted Therapy

Hyeong Gon Kim

Department of Urology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence: Hyeong Gon Kim

Abstract

Advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is difficult to treat and is generally resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Only immunotherapy have been accepted as effective tool for minority of patients with advanced RCC. Recently, New targeted agents have shown an impressive activity in advanced RCC with a high response rate and significant improvement of survival. Now targeted agents have become the standard of care for most patients. Nevertheless, immunotherapy especially interleukin-2 (IL-2) remains another important therapeutic tool for advanced RCC. The value of immunotherapy is its curative potential in some patients and its capability to obtain very durable responses. Targeted agents may deprive some patients of a chance for long-term survival in some aspects. The identification of a panel of prognostic factors could provide an important tool to guide the choice of treatment of patients with a different risk profile. The immunotherapy will continue to be an important treatment modality in selected patients with advanced RCC. (Korean J Urol Oncol 2009;7:109-112)

Key Words: Advanced renal cell carcinoma, Immunotherapy, Interleukin-2