Learning How to Manage Immunotherapy or TKI-Related AEs in Advanced RCC

Treating advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with immunotherapy has led to a significant improvement in response rates vs a traditional therapy approach.

Moshe Ornstein, MD, discussed determining how to tell if immunotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are related to certain adverse effects. AEs that are most common with these agents include fatigue, diarrhea, and elevated liver enzymes.

Ornstein, a medical oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, also spoke about learning whether dose reductions are needed or if suspension of treatment or switching therapies would be more beneficial for an individual patient.

Additionally, if clinicians can better identify the cause of an AE, this will help in creating a personalized treatment plan. Moving forward, Ornstein hopes that additional research will be conducted to better help these personalized treatment plans and to mitigate AEs associated with treatment.

Transcript:

Although the treatment changes for advanced RCC with immunotherapy-based combinations in the frontline [setting] have improved response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival compared with historical standards, at the end of the day, some of these patients are going to have AEs from treatment. The biggest challenge when it comes to managing the AEs is those AEs can be from either an immunotherapy or from the immunotherapy partner, the TKI. For instance, fatigue, diarrhea, and elevated liver tests can be from immunotherapy or a targeted therapy. Developing a strategy to determine which agent is responsible for that AE is critical in terms of managing the AE, [as well as] knowing which agent a patient can stay on and when and [whether] we can resume the therapy that was on hold while the toxicity was being managed.