Photo Credit: Nemes Laszlo
During the 2024 annual ESMO Congress, multiple poster sessions focused on the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Of hundreds of posters submitted, here are some RCC highlights:
Laurence Albiges discussed the CARE1 study (presentation 1717TiP) This was a phase III international clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of two systemic therapy approaches for metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC): immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations (ICI-ICI) versus ICI combined with VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ICI-VEGFR TKI). It aimed to demonstrate which approach improves overall survival based on PDL1 status, with ICI-ICI for PDL1-positive patients and ICI-VEGFR TKI for PDL1-negative patients. The study included 1200 patients across 8 European countries, focusing on endpoints like progression-free survival, response rates, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness.
Simon Garinet presented poster 1714P. Translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC) is a challenging-to-diagnose subtype of kidney cancer due to its histological similarity to other RCC types. This study used epigenomic profiling of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) through cfChIP-seq demonstrated that H3K27ac signals could effectively distinguish tRCC from clear cell RCC (ccRCC) and healthy samples, even when the circulating tumor DNA fraction was low. This method shows promise as a sensitive tool for detecting tRCC and differentiating it from other kidney cancer subtypes, potentially improving diagnosis and treatment strategies.
Eddy Saad highlighted the PROphetNSCLC proteomic model (presentation 1707P), initially developed to predict outcomes for PD-(L)1 inhibitor therapy in metastatic NSCLC, was evaluated for its predictive value in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients treated with VEGFR TKI, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), or their combination. The study found that PROphet-positive RCC patients had significantly better overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to PROphet-negative patients, suggesting shared proteomic features between NSCLC and RCC that are associated with prognosis.
Linhui Wang discussed presentation 1708P. This study highlighted the potential of tumor-informed minimal residual disease (MRD) detection as a prognostic marker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), showing it to be superior to panel-based MRD. Preoperative MRD positivity varied by pathological stage, and while follow-up was limited, MRD demonstrated promise in predicting recurrence and metastasis with a 100% negative predictive value (NPV). Continuous MRD monitoring could be crucial for assessing long-term prognosis in ccRCC patients.
