Unlike many other cancers, advanced kidney cancer does not respond well to chemotherapy. Drugs like interferon or interleukin-2 (IL-2), which are given to try and get the body’s immune system to attack the tumor, are also not particularly effective and have a lot of side effects. As a result, there is a lot of interest in finding something new and effective.

New medications designed to attack cancers on the molecular level (Nexavar® and Sutent®) have caught the attention of the cancer doctors. Researchers have found that they are more effective than standard care in slowing the progression of kidney cancer with a lot less side effects.

Two articles in the January 11 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine report the latest results for Nexavar® and Sutent® in advanced kidney cancer. The findings were somewhat mixed. They found that the disease didn’t progress as fast, but they couldn’t show that it kept patients alive significantly longer. So, although these drugs show a lot of promise in treating a very difficult disease and are less toxic than the standard treatment, patients need to understand that they don't offer a cure.

• Symptoms of Kidney Cancer
• Staging of Kidney Cancer
• Treatment for Kidney Cancer