Results of a recent Phase 1/2 study of patients with metastatic kidney cancer demonstrate that some patients receiving combination therapy can safely pause or stop treatment after two years if they show a good response.
This finding could significantly improve the quality of life for kidney cancer patients by reducing side effects and treatment complications. The study, presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, is the first to include treatment cessation as part of its design for this combination therapy.
Key points from the study:
- The trial investigated a combined therapy of nivolumab (an immune checkpoint inhibitor) and axitinib (an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in patients with relapsed metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
- Out of 26 patients, six chose to stop one or both drugs after two years. Remarkably, five of these patients remained progression-free two years later without additional therapy.
- Common side effects of these medications can include diarrhea, mouth sores, fatigue, loss of appetite, and skin changes. These side effects typically subside when treatment is stopped.
The study’s lead author emphasized that carefully selected patients may enjoy extended periods without continuous therapy. This approach could reduce clinic visits and healthcare costs while improving patients’ quality of life.
While this specific drug combination may not become the new standard due to newer, more effective treatments, the findings suggest that treatment breaks could be applicable to similar drug combinations used in kidney cancer therapy.
Researchers are now exploring similar outcomes in first-line kidney cancer treatments and investigating potential biomarkers to help select patients for different drug combinations.
This study offers hope for metastatic kidney cancer patients, potentially allowing them to take breaks from treatment without fear of immediate cancer progression, leading to an improved quality of life during their cancer journey.
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Reference:
Zibelman MR, Ged Y, Carducci M, et al. Results From the Prior Treatment Cohort of a Phase I/II Study of Nivolumab and Axitinib in Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma. Presented at 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, San Francisco February 13-15. Abstract 548.
