Dr. Beckermann on the Evolving Adjuvant Setting in RCC

Kathryn E. Beckermann, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses the evolving adjuvant treatment setting for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

The phase 3 KEYNOTE-564 trial (NCT03142334) evaluated the safety and efficacy of adjuvant pembrolizumab (Keytruda) vs placebo for patients with RCC following nephrectomy.

Updated data from KEYNOTE-564 presented at the 2022 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium showed that patients who received adjuvant pembrolizumab for 1 year experienced a continued benefit in disease-free survival compared with patients given placebo, Beckermann explains. Though overall survival (OS) data were not mature, a benefit was observed for patients administered pembrolizumab for time to next treatment following disease progression, Beckermann says

All available data point to the benefit of adjuvant pembrolizumab, and investigators are anticipating the OS data, Beckermann concludes.