Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Advanced Kidney Cancer Trials

1. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center’s Advanced Kidney Cancer
Trials
By: Steve Kanzer

2. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Advanced
Kidney Cancer Trials
Steve Kanzer is a well established New York executive who guides Accredited Ventures as
chairman and CEO. Community involved, Steve Kanzer supports organizations such as the
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), which has undertaken patient treatment and
research on cancer since its founding in the late 19th century.

3. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Advanced
Kidney Cancer Trials
One current area of research is advanced kidney treatments, with the MSKCC working in tandem
with hospital system partners such as Lehigh Valley Health Network. Among kidney diseases,
kidney cancer is one of the most challenging forms to treat, as it does not respond well to radiation
and chemotherapy and offers a poor prognosis once it has advanced.

4. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Advanced
Kidney Cancer Trials
A dozen years ago, there was a breakthrough in the scientific understanding of the biology of
mutated genes and tumors associated with kidney cancer. This led to the development of sunitinib
(Sutent), as well as nine other FDA-approved drugs used in treating advanced renal cell
carcinoma.

5. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Advanced
Kidney Cancer Trials
A current focus of Kettering Cancer Alliance clinical trials centers on the best ways of combining
and sequencing treatments, based on the genetic signatures of patients’ tumors. An ongoing trial
involving patients living with stage 4 kidney cancer involves sunitinib, the control, versus an
immunotherapy “one-two punch” combination of cabozantinib and nivolumab.