Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors has arrived and begun to change the landscape of clinical oncology, including for patients with renal cell carcinoma. Specifically, drugs targeting the programmed death 1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen pathways have demonstrated remarkable responses for patients in clinical trials. In this article, we review the most recent available data for immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with renal cell carcinoma. We discuss potential strategies for rational combination therapies in these patients, some of which are currently being studied, and address important future considerations for use of these novel agents in the years to come.
Keywords: VEGF; cytokine; cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4; immune checkpoint blockade; immunotherapy; programmed death 1; renal cell carcinoma.