Complete remission of brain metastases in renal cell carcinoma treated with axitinib after failure with nivolumab and ipilimumab treatment.

INTRODUCTION

Complete remission of cerebral metastasis is a rare consequence of tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 68-year-old woman, who presented with dyspnea, was diagnosed with left renal cell carcinoma with multiple brain and pleural metastases. Although nivolumab and ipilimumab combination treatment was initiated, it was discontinued because of an immune-related adverse event. Two months after treatment cessation, brain metastases progressed regardless of shrinkage of primary renal tumor and pleural metastases. Therefore, axitinib was started as a second-line treatment, which resulted in the complete disappearance of the brain metastases along with the stable disease of the other tumor lesions.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report of complete remission of brain metastases in renal cell carcinoma treated by axitinib.