Renal Cell Carcinoma
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Oct 12 – Oct 19, 2026
Neoadjuvant Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Before Inferior Vena Cava Thrombectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Phase 2 Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #14/326TOP-TIER
This phase 2 trial evaluated neoadjuvant SABR to IVC tumor thrombus before nephrectomy and thrombectomy in 21 patients with renal cell carcinoma and Mayo level II-IV thrombus. One-year recurrence-free survival was 71.4%, meeting the prespecified screening benchmark of 55.7% (P=.09), with 95.2% overall and cancer-specific survival. No 90-day perioperative mortality occurred, and no grade 4/5 radiation-attributed toxic effects; Ki-67 decreased and circulating tumor DNA declined after treatment. Neoadjuvant SABR appears feasible and safe in this high-risk cancer population, but the nonrandomized design and exploratory biomarker findings warrant further evaluation before routine adoption.
10.1001/jamaoncol.2026.4172
Sep 28 – Oct 05, 2026
Urine cell-free RNA for bladder cancer detection and treatment response prediction.
NAT MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/195TOP-TIER
This study evaluated uRARE-seq, a novel liquid biopsy method for profiling urine cell-free RNA (cfRNA), across 683 samples to detect and characterize bladder cancer. The method demonstrated 95% sensitivity and 90% specificity for localized bladder cancer detection, outperforming traditional urine tumor DNA analysis. Analysis successfully identified minimal residual disease and predicted BCG treatment response versus chemotherapy with an area under the curve of 0.93 based on immune and proliferation signatures. These findings suggest urine cfRNA is a highly effective non-invasive tool for cancer diagnosis and personalized treatment selection, pending prospective clinical validation.
10.1038/s41591-026-04673-3
Final results and predictive biomarkers of response and long-term outcomes with first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma in the phase II KEYNOTE-427 study.
ANN ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #4/326TOP-TIER
This phase II KEYNOTE-427 study evaluated first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma, reporting final efficacy, safety, and predictive biomarkers after ~5 years of follow-up. In cohort A (clear cell RCC), the objective response rate was 36.4%; in cohort B (non-clear cell RCC), it was 26.7%. T-cell-inflamed gene expression profile and PD-L1 combined positive score were positively associated with response, while detectable circulating tumor DNA at baseline predicted shorter overall survival (30.5 vs 53.7 months). These findings support pembrolizumab as active in advanced RCC and suggest molecular biomarkers may guide precision treatment.
10.1016/j.annonc.2026.09.011
Cancer and the microbiome: from association to intervention.
LANCET ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #8/326TOP-TIER
This review synthesizes evidence regarding the gut microbiome’s role as a modifiable determinant of efficacy and toxicity in systemic cancer therapies, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Research indicates that higher microbial diversity and specific immunostimulatory pathways correlate with improved survival and treatment response in melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. Conversely, the use of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors is linked to inferior clinical outcomes due to microbiome disruption, while interventions like fecal microbiota transplantation are currently under investigation. These findings suggest that modulating the intestinal microbiome could optimize anticancer treatment responses, though therapeutic strategies remain in the investigational phase.
10.1016/S1470-2045(26)00326-8
Sep 07 – Sep 14, 2026
Development and external validation of a new prognostic model for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a preregistered analysis using data from randomised clinical trials in the checkpoint inhibitor era.
LANCET ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #8/326TOP-TIER
This study developed and externally validated the new Clinical Prognostic Index in the Checkpoint Inhibitor era (CPI2) model for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC), utilizing individual patient data from CheckMate-214 and CheckMate-9ER clinical trials. The CPI2 model, incorporating 14 readily available clinical parameters, showed improved discriminative accuracy at 36 months (0.72 in both cohorts) compared to the IMDC model (0.65 and 0.61). This enhanced prognostic tool directly aids clinicians in risk stratification and treatment decisions for cancer patients, particularly in the immune checkpoint inhibitor era. The model’s improved precision can inform clinical trial design and optimize personalized cancer therapy.
10.1016/S1470-2045(26)00338-4
Aug 24 – Aug 31, 2026
Adjuvant pembrolizumab for the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma: Five-year results from the phase III KEYNOTE-564 study.
ANN ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #4/326TOP-TIER
This phase III randomized trial (KEYNOTE-564) evaluated the efficacy of adjuvant pembrolizumab versus placebo in 994 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence following surgery. After a 70-month median follow-up, pembrolizumab significantly improved disease-free survival (HR 0.71, 5-year rate 60.9% vs. 52.2%) and overall survival (HR 0.66, 5-year rate 87.7% vs. 82.3%). These results demonstrate a sustained survival benefit and a manageable safety profile, reinforcing the drug’s role in preventing post-surgical recurrence. The findings solidify adjuvant pembrolizumab as a standard of care for this oncological population, providing robust long-term evidence for clinical decision-making.
10.1016/j.annonc.2026.08.006
Aug 10 – Aug 17, 2026
Belzutifan plus lenvatinib versus cabozantinib in patients with previously treated advanced renal cell carcinoma (LITESPARK-011): an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial.
LANCET · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/332TOP-TIER
This phase 3, randomized trial (LITESPARK-011) investigated belzutifan plus lenvatinib versus cabozantinib in 747 patients with advanced clear-cell renal cell carcinoma progressing after immune checkpoint inhibitors. Belzutifan-lenvatinib significantly extended progression-free survival (median 14.8 months vs 10.7 months; HR 0.70; p<0.0001), though overall survival was not significantly different (median 34.9 months vs 27.6 months; HR 0.85; p=0.061). Grade 3 or worse adverse events were high in both arms (84% vs 83%). This novel combination offers a new efficacious treatment option, potentially becoming a new standard of care for this specific advanced cancer population.
10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01089-5
Jul 27 – Aug 03, 2026
Phase II Randomized Trial of Radium-223 Dichloride and Cabozantinib in Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma With Bone Metastases: RADICAL (Alliance A031801).
J CLIN ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #6/326TOP-TIER
The RADICAL phase II randomized trial investigated adding radium-223 to cabozantinib in 98 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and bone metastases, with SSE-free survival (SSE-FS) as the primary endpoint. The study was stopped early due to futility, as radium-223 did not improve SSE-FS when combined with cabozantinib. Median SSE-FS was 16.7 months for the combination versus 17.6 months for cabozantinib alone (sHR, 1.46), with similar grade ≥3 adverse events (69.6% vs 75.5%). This indicates that adding radium-223 offers no additional benefit for SSE-FS in this mRCC patient population, guiding treatment decisions against this specific combination.
10.1200/JCO-26-01135