Advanced kidney cancer may see new drug combination treatment standard

The Dana-Farber Institute has reported the success of their phase 3 clinical trial where the combination of two drugs, which include an immunotherapy agent, potentially could become a new standard, first-line treatment for patients with metastatic kidney cancer.

Patients who received the immunotherapy drug avelumab plus axitinib, a targeted agent, had a significant advantage in progression-free survival compared with those who received sunitinib (Sutent), a targeted drug that has been a standard treatment for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma – the most common form of kidney cancer.

The drug combination is designed to starve tumors by disrupting blood supply.

The Dana-Farber Institute has the report.