Current Role of Radiotherapy for Renal-Cell Carcinoma: Review

A Neurosurgical Perspective on Brain Metastases from Renal Cell Carcinoma: Multi-Institutional, Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND

While acknowledging the generally poor prognostic features of brain metastases from renal cell carcinoma (BM RCC), it is important to be aware of the fact that neurosurgery still plays a vital role in managing this disease, even though we have entered an era of targeted therapies. Notwithstanding their initial high effectiveness, these agents often fail, as tumors develop resistance or relapse.

METHODS

The authors of this study aimed to evaluate patients presenting with BM RCC and their outcomes after being treated in the Neurosurgical Department of Clinical Emergency Hospital "Bagdasar-Arseni", and the Neurosurgical Department of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurovascular Diseases, Bucharest, Romania. The study is based on a thorough appraisal of the patient's demographic and clinicopathological data and is focused on the strategic role of neurosurgery in BM RCC.

RESULTS

A total of 24 patients were identified with BM RCC, of whom 91.6% had clear-cell RCC (ccRCC) and 37.5% had a prior nephrectomy. Only 29.1% of patients harbored extracranial metastases, while 83.3% had a single BM RCC. A total of 29.1% of patients were given systemic therapy. Neurosurgical resection of the BM was performed in 23 out of 24 patients. Survival rates were prolonged in patients who underwent nephrectomy, in patients who received systemic therapy, and in patients with a single BM RCC. Furthermore, higher levels of hemoglobin were associated in our study with a higher number of BMs.

CONCLUSION

Neurosurgery is still a cornerstone in the treatment of symptomatic BM RCC. Among the numerous advantages of neurosurgical intervention, the most important is represented by the quick reversal of neurological manifestations, which in most cases can be life-saving.

Bleeding metastasis of renal cell cancer to anal canal treated with radiation

Renal cell cancer (RCC) has the ability to metastasize to various organs, including the anal canal which is reported to be the rarest location. An 88-year-old male patient who had previously been treated for right RCC subsequently developed distant metastases to the prostate, lungs, and small bowel. Four years following nephrectomy, the patient presented with a bleeding anal mass which was excised and has been proven to be an anal canal metastasis of RCC. Eight months post excision, regrowth occurred. The patient underwent stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy resulting in satisfactory regression during the 2-month follow-up period, without episodes of bleeding. The treatment options for metastatic post-nephrectomy disease should be considered with a multidisciplinary approach in order to achieve satisfactory symptom relief.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Renal Cell Carcinoma

The endoplasmic reticulum is an organelle exerting crucial functions in protein production, metabolism homeostasis and cell signaling. Endoplasmic reticulum stress occurs when cells are damaged and the capacity of this organelle to perform its normal functions is reduced. Subsequently, specific signaling cascades, together forming the so-called unfolded protein response, are activated and deeply impact cell fate. In normal renal cells, these molecular pathways strive to either resolve cell injury or activate cell death, depending on the extent of cell damage. Therefore, the activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway was suggested as an interesting therapeutic strategy for pathologies such as cancer. However, renal cancer cells are known to hijack these stress mechanisms and exploit them to their advantage in order to promote their survival through rewiring of their metabolism, activation of oxidative stress responses, autophagy, inhibition of apoptosis and senescence. Recent data strongly suggest that a certain threshold of endoplasmic reticulum stress activation needs to be attained in cancer cells in order to shift endoplasmic reticulum stress responses from a pro-survival to a pro-apoptotic outcome. Several endoplasmic reticulum stress pharmacological modulators of interest for therapeutic purposes are already available, but only a handful were tested in the case of renal carcinoma, and their effects in an in vivo setting remain poorly known. This review discusses the relevance of endoplasmic reticulum stress activation or suppression in renal cancer cell progression and the therapeutic potential of targeting this cellular process for this cancer.

Cryoablation for the Treatment of Kidney Cancer: Comparison With Other Treatment Modalities and Review of Current Treatment

With cancer among the leading causes of death worldwide and kidney cancer among the more common cancers in the United States, it has become increasingly important to ensure that first-line treatments remain validated and supported in recent literature. Surgical intervention has long remained the gold standard for intervention but with newer techniques and technology on the horizon, there must be a constant review of other options that may provide improved outcomes and reduction of associated risks. Ablative techniques have gained traction and are becoming a valuable intervention for multiple different types of cancers, kidney cancer included. Cryoablation, a newer ablative technique taking advantage of extreme cold to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue, provides a promising option for treatment. Currently, no review article, to our knowledge, compares all the different treatment options for kidney cancer. Additionally, while some literature has addressed cryoablation in comparison to other methods of management, there has not been an extensive review to combine our current understanding of these comparisons. In this review article, we provide an overview of each of the commonly used treatments for kidney cancer and summarize the current literature regarding the advantages and disadvantages of each intervention. Finally, we seek to compare cryoablation, a newer option for treatment, to each of the approaches with the goal of evaluating the best methods for management and determining cryoablation's role alongside these current interventions.

Preoperative stereotactic body radiotherapy combined with surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumour thrombus: study protocol for a single-arm cohort trial

INTRODUCTION

Although surgery is currently the first choice for patients with renal cell carcinoma and vena cava tumour thrombus, the surgery is difficult, with many complications, and the prognosis of patients is not ideal. Renal cell carcinoma is not sensitive to traditional radiotherapy, but the development of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) technology with the characteristics of high precision, dose and conformity has made the radiotherapy of renal cell carcinoma reexamined.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

STUDY DESIGN: This trial is a single-arm cohort study sponsored by Peking University Third Hospital.

STUDY TREATMENT

Preoperative stereotactic ablative radiotherapy combined with surgical treatment. PRIMARY ENDPOINTS: (1) Adverse reactions after 4-6 weeks of SABR. (2) Mayo staging of tumour thrombus. (3) The length of the tumour thrombus from the corresponding anatomical mark. (4) Invasion of the inferior vena cava wall. (5) Recurrent-free survival rate of the tumour. (6) Cancer-specific survival rate. (7) Overall survival rate. (8) Perioperative indicators including operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume and postoperative complications. SECONDARY ENDPOINTS: (1) The longest diameter of the tumour and (2) Lymph node condition.

MAIN INCLUSION CRITERIA

Patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumour thrombus graded from Mayo II to IV and eligible for radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava thrombectomy.

MAIN EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Patients with previous targeted therapy, chemotherapy or other interventions, or who cannot tolerate SABR or surgery.

PLANNED SAMPLE SIZE

20 patients.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial protocol and the informed consent of the subjects were submitted and approved by the Peking University Biomedical Ethics Committee.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR1800015118.

The role of stereotactic body radiation therapy and its integration with systemic therapies in metastatic kidney cancer: a multicenter study on behalf of the AIRO (Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology) genitourinary study group

Although systemic therapy represents the standard of care for polymetastatic kidney cancer, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) may play a relevant role in the oligometastatic setting. We conducted a multicenter study including oligometastatic kidney cancer treated with SBRT. We retrospectively analyzed 207 patients who underwent 245 SBRT treatments on 385 lesions, including 165 (42.9%) oligorecurrent (OR) and 220 (57.1%) oligoprogressive (OP) lesions. Most common sites were lung (30.9%) for OR group, and bone (32.7%) for OP group. Among 78 (31.8%) patients receiving concomitant systemic therapy, sunitinib (61.5%) and pazopanib (15.4%) were the most common for OR patients, while sunitinib (49.2%) and nivolumab (20.0%) for OP patients. End points were local control (LC), progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), time to next systemic therapy (TTNS) and toxicity. Median follow-up was 18.6 months. 1, 2 and 3-year LC rates were 89.4%, 80.1% and 76.6% in OR patients, and 82.7%, 76.9% and 64.3% in those with OP, respectively. LC for OP group was influenced by clear cell histology (p = 0.000), total number of lesions (p = 0.004), systemic therapy during SBRT (p = 0.012), and SBRT dose (p = 0.012). Median PFS was 37.9 months. 1, 2- and 3-year OS was 92.7%, 86.4% and 81.8%, respectively. Median TTNS was 15.8 months for OR patients, and 13.9 months for OP patients. No grade 3 or higher toxicities were reported for both groups. SBRT may be considered an effective safe option in the multidisciplinary management of both OR and OP metastases from kidney cancer.

Intraoperative Cryotherapy in the Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma of the Bone

Osseous metastases in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are a heterogeneous mix of cells with hypervascular and rapidly destructive properties that frequently exhibit resistance to both radiation and chemotherapy. Despite this, some patients with isolated and oligometastatic disease have the potential to be cured. Regardless, aggressive metastatic control is critical to minimizing morbidity and mortality for all patients with metastatic RCC. Percutaneous cryoprobes were developed as a minimally invasive technique for both pain relief and tumor control. However, there is little evidence describing an alternative use of this technology in the operating room to assist with open tumor resections, and no formal role for its use in orthopedics exists. Therefore, the authors added this modality to their intraoperative treatment of osseous RCC to investigate whether it would influence their ability to obtain local metastatic control. The authors performed a retrospective chart review of prospectively obtained data to evaluate the role of intraoperative cryotherapy in the treatment of osseous RCC. From 2004 to 2017, cryotherapy was used in 43 procedures, alleviating the need for additional radiation 84% (36 of 43) of the time. Local tumor control was achieved in 100% (43 of 43) of cases. There were 2 wound-related complications and 1 pathologic fracture. Despite the study's limitations, the authors believe that cryotherapy contributed to the reliability and reproducibility of their intralesional resections. Given the palliative, and potentially curative, opportunities afforded by complete locoregional tumor control, the authors support further investigation into the use of intraoperative cryotherapy to treat osseous metastases secondary to RCC. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(5):e645-e652.].

Immunotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The management of renal cell carcinoma is rapidly evolving and immunotherapy, mostly consisting of immune checkpoint inhibitors, is revolutionizing the treatment scenario of metastatic patients. Novel fractionation schedules of radiotherapy, consisting of high doses in few fractions, can overcome the radioresistance of this tumor. Localized radiotherapy is associated with a systemic effect, known as the abscopal effect. This effect mediated by the immune system can be enhanced associating radiotherapy with immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVE

In this review, we explore the role of radiotherapy and immunotherapy in RCC, the rationale of combining these strategies and the on-going clinical trials investigating combinations of these two treatment modalities.

CONCLUSION

Combining immunotherapy and radiotherapy has a strong rationale and pre-clinical studies support their association because it can overcome the immunosuppression of the tumor microenvironment and increase the anti-tumor immune response. More clinical evidence, deriving from onclinical trials, are needed to prove the efficacy and safety of these treatments combined.

Percutaneous microwave ablation of renal cell carcinoma: practice guidelines of the ultrasound committee of Chinese medical association, interventional oncology committee of Chinese research hospital association

Imaging-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) with high thermal efficiency comprises rapid, successful management of small renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) in selected patients. Ultrasound Committee of Chinese Medical Association, Interventional Oncology Committee of Chinese Research Hospital Association developed evidence-based guidelines for MWA of RCCs after systematically reviewing the 1969-2019 literature. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, cohort, and case-control studies reporting MWA of RCCs were included and levels of evidence assessed. Altogether, 146 articles were identified, of which 35 reported percutaneous MWA for T1a RCCs and 5 articles for T1b RCCs. Guidelines were established based on indications, techniques, safety, and effectiveness of MWA for RCCs, with the goal of standardizing imaging-guided percutaneous MWA treatment of RCCs. Key points Microwave ablation is recommended for managing small renal cell carcinoma in selected patients. Imaging protocols are tailored based on the procedural plan, guidance, and evaluation. Patient's selection evaluation, updated technique information, clinical efficacy, and complications are recommended to standardize management. A joint task force (multidisciplinary team) summarized the key elements of the standardized report.

Nivolumab: 5 Years Since FDA Approval of the First Checkpoint Inhibitor for Renal Cell Carcinoma

On November 23, 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), thus opening a new era of immunotherapy for this tumor. This review summarizes the 5-year experience of studying and using nivolumab in RCC patients.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy in combination with systemic therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a prospective multicentre study

Background

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and checkpoint inhibitors have been established as effective treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), but only a minority of patients achieve complete response. Additional strategies are necessary to improve these agents’ efficacy.

Methods

Patients with stable disease for at least 4 months on TKI or checkpoint inhibitors were included. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) was delivered to an organ with comparable lesions, where one lesion was in the treatment target and the other one was intentionally left untreated (control lesion). Response in both lesions was scored using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors V.1.1 criteria 2 months after completion of SBRT. The primary endpoint was the rate of SBRT adverse events, and the secondary endpoints included the rate of reduction in target lesion size.

Results

17 patients were enrolled (14 men and 3 women, median age: 54.5 years old). SBRT was delivered to the lungs (n=5), bones (n=4), lymph nodes (n=4), liver (n=1), primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (n=1) and locally recurrent RCC (n=2). The equivalent dose in 2 Gy with an alpha to beta ratio of 2.6 was 114 Gy. With a median follow-up of 8 months, the cumulative rate of SBRT-related toxicity (grade 1) was 12% (n=2), consisting of oesophagitis and skin erythema. No grade 2 or higher toxicity was detected. Radiographic response in the target lesion was seen in 13 patients (76%), with complete response in 5 (29%) patients and partial response in 8 (47%), including abscopal effect in 1 patient. Control lesions remained stable in 16 patients. The difference between response in the target and control lesions as judged by the mean sizes of these lesions before and at 2 months after SBRT was statistically significant (p<0.01). Fraction size of 10 Gy or greater was associated with complete response (p<0.01).

Conclusion

Extracranial SBRT in patients with mRCC treated with TKI or checkpoint inhibitors is well tolerated and could be effective.

Trial registration number

NCT02864615

Tyrosine-Kinase Inhibitors Therapies with Mainly Anti-Angiogenic Activity in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: Value of PET/CT in Response Evaluation

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most frequent renal tumor and the majority of patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. Tumor angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the development and progression of RCC together with hypoxia and glucose metabolism. These three pathways are strictly connected to the cell growth and proliferation, like a loop that is self-feeding. Over the last few years, the ever-deeper knowledge of its contribution in metastatic RCC led to the discovery of numerous tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting pro-angiogenic receptors at different levels such as sunitinib, sorafenib, pazopanib, axitinib, tivozanib, and dovitinib. As anti-angiogenic agents, TKIs interfere the loop, being able to inhibit tumor proliferation. TKIs are now available treatments for advanced RCC, which demonstrated to improve overall survival and/or progression free survival. Their effects can be detectable early on Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) by change in ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxy-2-d-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) uptake, the main radiotracer used to date, as a strong indicator of biological response. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated an ability to predict and monitor disease progression, allowing an early and reliable identification of responders, and could be used for image-guided optimization and "personalization" of anti-angiogenic regimens. New radiotracers for biometabolic imaging are currently under investigation, which exploit the other pathways involved in the cancer process, including cellular proliferation, aerobic metabolism, cell membrane synthesis, hypoxia and amino acid transport, as well as the angiogenic process, but they require further studies.