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Disease

Carcinoma, Renal Cell

Late-stage therapeutic developmentActively researchedCooling momentum
43
Publications
18
Clinical trials
10
Related conditions
6
Related treatments
10
Related proteins
2026
Latest publication
Current focus
Antibodies biologyNivolumab biologyTherapeutic developmentInflammation & immunity
Latest activity
beta

Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC).

Research2025-06-11International journal of molecular sciences

Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Review.

Research2024-09-01JAMA

What's happening now

An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.

Major developments
Research Highlights2View
Clinical Milestones6View
Results expected 5
Activity timeline8

Therapeutic landscape

Therapies with a regulatory footing for this condition, alongside the wider set of agents co-studied with it in the literature.

Approved & established therapies
Belzutifanapproved

Approval — Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) Welireg is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adul… (2025)

Axitinibapproved

Approval — Axitinib Accord is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell… (2024)

Sorafenibapproved

Approval — Hepatocellular carcinomaSorafenib Accord is indicated for the treatment of hepatocellular… (2022)

Sunitinibapproved

Approval — Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) Sunitinib Accord is indicated for the treatment of… (2021)

Avelumabapproved

Approval — Bavencio is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic… (2017)

Tivozanibapproved

Approval — Fotivda is indicated for the first line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal c… (2017)

Cabozantinibapproved

Accelerated approval — Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) Cabometyx is indicated as monotherapy for advanced renal cell… (2016)

Approval — Melanoma Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adults and adolescents… (2015)

Research-associated treatments

Clinical trials

12 sponsors · 1 new · 0 completed in the last 12 months (net +1)

The current development programme across all trial phases.

Clinical programme
18
All trials
6
Active
13
Late-stage
6
Completed
Late-stage studies
Recently completed

Regulatory timeline

Drug regulatory events matched to this condition by indication — EMA.

First approvals
2025emaApprovalBelzutifan· Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) Welireg is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma that progressed following two or more lines of therapy that included a PD-(L)1 inhibitor and at least two VEGF-targeted therapies. von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-associated tumours Welireg is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease who require therapy for associated, localised renal cell carcinoma (RCC), central nervous system (CNS) haemangioblastomas, or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNET), and for whom localised procedures are unsuitable. source ↗
2024emaApprovalAxitinib· Axitinib Accord is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after failure of prior treatment with sunitinib or a cytokine. source ↗
2022emaApprovalSorafenib· Hepatocellular carcinomaSorafenib Accord is indicated for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (see section 5.1). Renal cell carcinomaSorafenib Accord is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have failed prior interferon-alpha or interleukin-2 based therapy or are considered unsuitable for such therapy. source ↗
2021emaApprovalSunitinib· Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) Sunitinib Accord is indicated for the treatment of unresectable and/or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in adults after failure of imatinib treatment due to resistance or intolerance. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) Sunitinib Accord is indicated for the treatment of advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) in adults. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNET) Sunitinib Accord is indicated for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNET) with disease progression in adults. source ↗
2017emaApprovalAvelumab· Bavencio is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Bavencio in combination with axitinib is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Bavencio is indicated as monotherapy for the first?line maintenance treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) who are progression-free following platinum?based chemotherapy. source ↗
2017emaApprovalTivozanib· Fotivda is indicated for the first line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and for adult patients who are VEGFR and mTOR pathway inhibitor-naïve following disease progression after one prior treatment with cytokine therapy for advanced RCC. Treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. source ↗
2016emaAccelerated approvalCabozantinib· Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) Cabometyx is indicated as monotherapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma as first-line treatment of adult patients with intermediate or poor risk, in adults following prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy. Cabometyx, in combination with nivolumab, is indicated for the first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)Cabometyx is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in adults who have previously been treated with sorafenib.Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC)Cabometyx is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), refractory or not eligible to radioactive iodine (RAI) who have progressed during or after prior systemic therapy.Neuroendocrine Tumours (NET)Cabometyx is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic, well differentiated extra-pancreatic (epNET) and pancreatic (pNET) neuroendocrine tumours who have progressed following at least one prior systemic therapy other than somatostatin analogues. source ↗
2015emaApprovalPembrolizumab· Melanoma Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with Stage IIB, IIC, or with Stage III melanoma and lymph node involvement who have undergone complete resection. Non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) Keytruda, in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of resectable non small cell lung carcinoma at high risk of recurrence in adults Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults with non-small cell lung carcinoma who are at high risk of recurrence following complete resection and platinum based chemotherapy (for selection criteria, see section 5.1). Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ≥ 50% tumour proportion score (TPS) with no EGFR or ALK positive tumour mutations. Keytruda, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of metastatic non squamous non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours have no EGFR or ALK positive mutations. Keytruda, in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or nab paclitaxel, is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic squamous non small cell lung carcinoma in adults. Keytruda  as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ≥ 1% TPS and who have received at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. Patients with EGFR or ALK positive tumour mutations should also have received targeted therapy before receiving KEYTRUDA. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) Keytruda, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adults with unresectable non-epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma. Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult and paediatric patients aged 3 years and older with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma who have failed autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT is not a treatment option. Urothelial carcinoma Keytruda, in combination with enfortumab vedotin, as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued after radical cystectomy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of adults with resectable muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are ineligible for cisplatin‑containing chemotherapy. Keytruda, in combination with enfortumab vedotin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults who have received prior platinum containing chemotherapy.Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults who are not eligible for cisplatin containing chemotherapy and whose tumours express PD L1 with a combined positive score (CPS) ≥ 10. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as neoadjuvant treatment, continued as adjuvant treatment in combination with radiation therapy with or without concomitant cisplatin and then as monotherapy in adults whose tumours express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda, as monotherapy or in combination with platinum and 5 fluorouracil (5 FU) chemotherapy, is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ? 50% TPS and progressing on or after platinum containing chemotherapy. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) Keytruda, in combination with axitinib, is indicated for the first line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults. Keytruda, in combination with lenvatinib, is indicated for the first line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults with renal cell carcinoma at increased risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection of metastatic lesions (for selection criteria, please see section 5.1). Microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) cancers Colorectal cancer (CRC)Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for theadults with MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer in the following settings: first line treatment of metastatic microsatellite instability high (MSI H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer in adults; treatment of unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer after previous fluoropyrimidine based combination therapy.  Non-colorectal cancersKeytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of the following MSI H or dMMR tumours in adults with: advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma, who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation; unresectable or metastatic gastric, small intestine, or biliary cancer, who have disease progression on or following at least one prior therapy. Oesophageal carcinoma Keytruda, in combination with platinum and fluoropyrimidine based chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic carcinoma of the oesophagus in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 10. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery, is indicated for the treatment of adults with locally advanced, or early stage triple negative breast cancer at high risk of recurrence. Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment of locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 10 and who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Endometrial carcinoma (EC) Keytruda, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, is indicated for the first-line treatment of primary advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.  Keytruda, in combination with lenvatinib, is indicated for the treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. Cervical cancer Keytruda, in combination with chemoradiotherapy (external beam radiation therapy followed by brachytherapy), is indicated for the treatment of FIGO 2014 Stage III - IVA locally advanced cervical cancer in adults who have not received prior definitive therapy.  Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma Keytruda, in combination with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda, in combination with fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-negative gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1 (see section 5.1). Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) Keytruda, in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic biliary tract carcinoma in adults. Ovarian Cancer Keytruda, in combination with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of platinum‑resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD‑L1 with a CPS ≥ 1 and who have received one or two prior systemic treatment regimens. source ↗

European Medicines Agency (CC BY 4.0). Events are matched to this condition by drug indication text — approvals/updates for drugs indicated for it, not disease-specific acts.

Research activity

43 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Publications over time
20132026
Most influential

Safety, activity, and immune correlates of anti-PD-1 antibody in cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2012 · 9,851 cites

Intratumor heterogeneity and branched evolution revealed by multiregion sequencing.

The New England journal of medicine · 2012 · 5,974 cites

Nivolumab versus Everolimus in Advanced Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

The New England journal of medicine · 2015 · 4,442 cites

Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab versus Sunitinib in Advanced Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

The New England journal of medicine · 2018 · 3,404 cites

Pembrolizumab plus Axitinib versus Sunitinib for Advanced Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

The New England journal of medicine · 2019 · 2,427 cites
Recent publications
Major themes8
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell25
  • Kidney Neoplasms25
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols3
  • Lung Neoplasms3
  • Melanoma3
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung2
  • Fecal Microbiota Transplantation2
  • Immunotherapy2
Leading journals6
  • The New England journal of medicine11
  • Journal for immunotherapy of cancer3
  • Nature medicine3
  • Cancer treatment reviews2
  • International journal of molecular sciences2
  • Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology2
Leading researchers8
  • Choueiri TK13
  • Motzer RJ11
  • Powles T7
  • Rini BI7
  • Tannir NM7
  • Donskov F6
  • Escudier B6
  • Gurney H6
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute7
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center6
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center5
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center4
  • Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology3
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center3

Disease biology

10 matches

Key proteins & gene products studied in this disease. Number shows shared papers.

Related conditions

10 matches

Diseases frequently studied alongside this one. Number shows shared papers.

Disease profile

A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.

Overview

Renal cell carcinoma is a heterogeneous group of kidney cancers that can arise sporadically or in hereditary settings. It includes several histologic subtypes, such as clear cell, papillary, chromophobe, collecting duct, sarcomatoid, and mixed cell-type carcinoma.

Causes

The grounding supports a hereditary component in some cases and a sporadic origin in others. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is commonly associated with inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene.

Pathophysiology

The disease is biologically heterogeneous, with subtype-specific mechanisms. In clear cell renal cell carcinoma, VHL inactivation is linked to angiogenesis and immune escape, and the tumor microenvironment contributes to immune suppression. Reported resistance and progression mechanisms include disruption of hypoxia pathways, activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, and increased expression of alternative proangiogenic factors.

Risk factors

The supplied grounding does not support specific patient-level risk factors for renal cell carcinoma beyond hereditary predisposition in some cases. Tumor histology and risk stratification are used to guide treatment selection, but these are not presented as causes of disease risk.

Current standard of care

Localized disease is generally treated with surgical resection. Relapsed or stage IV renal cell carcinoma is typically managed with surgery and/or systemic therapy, with treatment selection guided by histology and risk group. Systemic therapy classes described in the grounding include tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mTOR inhibitors, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, including combinations of anti-angiogenic agents with immunotherapy.

AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 6 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-07.

Reference

Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.

Defined in MeSH

A heterogeneous group of sporadic or hereditary carcinoma derived from cells of the KIDNEYS. There are several subtypes including the clear cells, the papillary, the chromophobe, the collecting duct, the spindle cells (sarcomatoid), or mixed cell-type carcinoma.

References & data sources
  • Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
  • Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
  • Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
  • Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.