The current state of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the first-line treatment of renal cancer

Abstract

Until recently, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) were the only approved drugs for the first-line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Emerging trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI)-based regimens have shown survival benefits over the standard TKI. These studies challenge a paradigm shift in the management of mRCC concerning the identification of the subgroup of patients that would benefit from ICI in treatment-naive mRCC, the possibility of treatment discontinuation between TKI and ICI, and the sequencing of surgery and systemic treatment. This paper reviews the currently available data and discusses the paradigm shift concerning first-line treatments of mRCC.