Breaking Down Clinical Trial Participation in Kidney Cancer: Is it Right for You?

The phase 1b STELLAR-002 study evaluated treatment with a new therapeutic called, zanzalintinib (XL092), which was evaluated in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab) and Opdualag (relatlimab-rmbw) in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, according to Dr. Michael Serzan.

Serzan went on to emphasize that the combination therapy continues to be evaluated by investigators, though it remains a challenge to unseat or outperform the current standards of care for this patient population. However, performing these clinical trials remains of utmost importance so that physicians can continue to improve therapeutics and outcomes for patients.

In an interview with CURE, Serzan, a medical oncologist at the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, emphasized the importance of clinical trial participation for patients with kidney cancer, highlighting the need to also remain educated and informed on the topic.

Transcript:

What should patients ask their care teams if they’re interested in participating in a clinical trial like STELLAR-002 or accessing similar therapies in the future?

That's a great question. I always tell patients, whenever they receive a new cancer diagnosis, to ask their care team — whether it's their oncologist, urologist, or radiation oncologist — "Do you think I'd be eligible for a clinical trial?" If they are, then they should understand what that clinical trial entails.

I want to address a common myth that many patients believe: that clinical trials are only for those who have exhausted all other treatment options. That couldn't be farther from the truth. As we saw in the STELLAR-002 study, this is a brand-new combination with biological rationale that we hope will improve the standard of care. All drugs ever approved for cancer patients have gone through this type of study. So, I want to dispel the notion that clinical trials are only for patients who have exhausted all lines of therapy. I firmly believe they play a crucial role for patients across the entire disease spectrum.

If you are eligible for a clinical trial, it's important to discuss the potential benefits of enrolling, the potential risks or downsides, and some of the logistics involved. If your institution doesn't offer a clinical trial, I think it's very important to ask for a second opinion at an institution that does, because we are firm believers that it's the only way we advance the science of the field. Many times, patients receive even better care while on clinical trials because we are actively trying to move the field forward and using tomorrow's treatments today.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.