Dr Tannir on Unmet Needs in the Treatment of Rare Kidney Tumors

Nizar M. Tannir, MD, FACP, professor; Ransom Horne, Jr. Professor for Cancer Research, Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses unmet needs for patients with rare kidney tumors and how these needs may be addressed in the future.

It is important to revitalize the study of rare kidney tumors because these diseases have historically been studied less often than more common kidney tumors, and thus treatments for this patient population have not advanced in recent years, Tannir says. Furthermore, the kidney cancer field has a limited understanding of the biology of these rare tumors, Tannir notes. To this day, patients with rare kidney disease are often treated using therapies that have been studied in and FDA approved for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), which is the most common subtype of RCC, Tannir explains. However, these therapies are less effective in patients with rare kidney cancers than they are in patients with ccRCC, for which they are indicated by the FDA, Tannir emphasizes.

The kidney cancer field must continue to support research endeavors that are specifically tailored toward patients with rare tumors, such as renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) and translocation carcinoma, according to Tannir. Moreover, investigators must remember that many rare tumors affect young patient populations, Tannir says. Additionally, some of these rare tumors, such as RMC, are some of the most malignant and aggressive types of RCC, and thus need specialized treatments, Tannir implores.

In the future, more effective and disease-specific resources need to be developed for patients with rare kidney tumors, Tannir notes. In addition, researchers from upcoming generations of kidney cancer oncologists should be educated about these unmet needs for patients with rare kidney tumors so they can gain interest in these diseases and advance the treatment paradigm for patients, Tannir concludes.