Dr. Vaishampayan on Immunotherapy in mRCC

Ulka Vaishampayan, MD, professor of oncology at Wayne State University, and the chief of the Solid Tumor Program at Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, discusses the role of immunotherapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Historically, immunotherapy with high-dose interleukin 2 was effective in about 10% of patients, says Vaishampayan. However, many patients with mRCC were not able to receive the cytokine therapy due to its significant toxicites, she adds.

Immune checkpoint therapy has since become an effective approach for the majority of this patient population, as it has allowed patients to experience long-term complete remissions without unreasonable toxicities, concludes Vaishampayan.