Stephanie Berg, DO

Invited discussant of SWOG 1500, Stephanie Berg, DO, of Loyola University Chicago, was impressed by these results: “We should consider cabozantinib as another option for papillary renal cell carcinoma.”

“Cabozantinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with a broad range of targets, including MET, one of the specific oncogene drivers of papillary renal cell carcinoma,” Dr. Berg explained. “Cabozantinib prolonged progression-free survival relative to sunitinib, and the confirmed overall response rate was 23% compared with 4% for sunitinib. Cumulative adverse events are expected for cabozantinib,” she noted.

“There are new pathways for treatment of renal cell carcinoma using combinations with MK-6482, a novel HIF-2α inhibitor under study. Be on the lookout for trials with this new drug. I expect more biomarker-driven trials to improve upon results. Genomic profiling in non–clear cell renal cell carcinoma is important. Stay tuned for more trial results,” she told listeners. 

Publisher's Note: This article was originally published in the March 25, 2021 issue of The ASCO Post.

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Berg has served as a consultant or advisor to Bristol Myers Squibb, Exelixis, and Seattle Genetics.

Publisher's Note: This article was originally published in the March 25, 2021 issue of The ASCO Post.