Dr Pal Previews ASCO 2024 Data in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Sumanta Kumar Pal, MD, FASCO, chair, Kidney and Bladder Cancer Disease Team, co-director, Kidney Cancer Program, professor, Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, discusses key biomarker analyses in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) that will be presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting, as well as highlights the value of the meeting for oncologists.

Among these highly-anticipated biomarker studies is an analysis of the phase 3 CLEAR trial (NCT02811861) which will present data on lenvatinib (Lenvima) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients withadvanced RCC, Pal reports. Additionally, biomarker data from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-426 study (NCT02853331) investigating axitinib (Inlyta) combined with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) will be showcased, he details. Another significant presentation will feature a biomarker analysis from the phase 3 IMmotion010 (NCT03024996) trial of adjuvant atezolizumab (Tecentriq), Pal states.

Although the IMmotion010 study did not achieve its co-primary end point of overall survival, it identified the circulating marker KIM-1 as a potential predictor of outcomes with adjuvant therapy, he says. This development is particularly exciting because it offers data not only for predicting responses in metastatic disease but also for guiding the use of adjuvant treatments in localized settings, Pal explains. The anticipated biomarker research in kidney cancer at this year's ASCO is expected to be more extensive than in previous meetings, Pal notes, adding that these studies promise to advance the understanding and management of RCC.

Overall, Pal anticipates that the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting will be groundbreaking. He adds that this year’s conference will feature a record number of plenary sessions dedicated to lung cancer, a field from which many treatment paradigms are borrowed. Additionally, ASCO is renowned for presenting the latest and most cutting-edge data, Pal says. Beyond the groundbreaking research, ASCO is valued for the opportunity it provides to network with colleagues and meet associates who have leading interests in various diseases, he concludes.