Improving outcomes in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

The emergence of targeted therapies for advanced renal cell carcinoma has been a dramatic turning point in improving outcomes for the majority of patients with this disease. In study populations comprising primarily good- and intermediate-risk patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma and prior nephrectomy, prolonged progression-free survival was demonstrated for three angiogenesis-targeted agents: sunitinib (compared with interferon [IFN]), bevacizumab plus IFN (vs IFN alone) and sorafenib (vs placebo in cytokine-refractory patients). As a first-line treatment for patients with multiple poor-risk factors, temsirolimus, which inhibits mTOR, has improved not only progression-free survival compared with IFN but, more importantly, overall survival. Further studies are needed to determine whether combinations and/or sequencing of these targeted agents can further improve outcomes.