New Treatment Options for Renal Cell Cancer—Critical Evaluation

ObjectiveTo present an overview of the current results of antiangiogenic drugs in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma and to assess short-term treatment perspectives.Recent FindingsTwo tyrosine-kinase inhibitors targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor have been shown through large phase 3 trials to improve the progression-free survival of patients in first-line (sunitinib vs. interferon-( [IFN-(]) or second-line treatment (sorafenib vs. placebo). Temsirolimus, which is an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin, offers better overall survival than interferon in patients with poor-risk characteristics. Finally, bevacizumab, which is an antibody, directed against VEGF in association with IFN-α, is providing substantial response rates and increased progression-free survival compared with IFN-α alone.ConclusionAlthough very effective in providing objective responses or delaying progression, new targeted therapies are still unable to cure patients. Therefore, additional research is still needed to identify new drugs, assess increased drug dosage or drug associations, and determine the optimal place of surgery.