[Molecular targeted therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma].

Two molecular targeted drugs, sorafenib and sunitinib, were approved for treatment against advanced renal cell carcinoma in 2008 in Japan. These two drugs can be orally administered as different from interferon-alpha administered subcutaneously or interleukin-2 intravenously. In the near future, everolimus will also be approved in Japan. Moreover, other vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors will be up available. Molecular targeted drugs are associated with different adverse events from classical anticancer drugs. Control of adverse events is important to obtain maximum effectiveness of these molecular targeted drugs. Neoadjuvant therapy with these drugs for unresectable primary tumor or large tumor in solitary kidney may also be effective to complete nephrectomy or nephron spearing surgery. Treatment strategy for advanced renal cell carcinoma has been changing dramatically after introduction of these molecular targeted drugs.