Dr. Fishman Discusses Available Agents to Treat Patients With RCC

Mayer Fishman, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Chemical Biology and Molecular Medicine Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, professor, Department of Oncologic Sciences and of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, discusses the available agents to treat patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Nivolumab (Opdivo) joined interleukin-2 in the category of immunotherapy agents as it was approved by the FDA in November 2015, Fishman explains. Cabozantinib (Cabometyx) and the combination of lenvatinib (Lenvima) and everolimus (Afinitor) were also approved in this space in April and May 2016, respectively.

These recent approvals are in addition to other VEGF-targeted agents such as sunitinib (Sutent), sorafenib (Nexavar), pazopanib (Votrient), axitinib (Inlyta), and bevacizumab (Avastin). Other available mTOR-targeted agents include everolimus (Afinitor) and temsirolimus (Torisel).

Though having several options creates a more challenging and competitive landscape, Fishman says that patients may have better outcomes with select agents compared with others.