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Background There remains a paucity of data regarding the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) combinations ± vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy (TT) in translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC). Methods This is a retrospective study of patients with advanced tRCC treated with ICT combinations at 11 centers in the US, France, and Belgium. Only cases with confirmed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were included. Objective response rates (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed by RECIST, and overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Results There were 29 patients identified with median age of 38 (21-70) years, and F:M ratio 0.9:1. FISH revealed TFE3 and TFEB translocations in 22 and 7 patients, respectively. Dual ICT and ICT + VEGF TT were used in 18 and 11 patients, respectively. Seventeen (59%) patients received ICT combinations as first-line therapy. ORR was 1/18 (5.5%) for dual ICT and 4/11 (36%) for ICT + VEGF TT. At a median follow-up of 12.9 months, median PFS was 2.8 and 5.4 months in the dual ICT and ICT + VEGF TT groups, respectively. Median OS from metastatic disease was 17.8 and 30.7 months in the dual ICT and ICT + VEGF TT groups, respectively. Conclusion In this retrospective study of advanced tRCC, limited response and survival were seen after frontline dual ICT combination therapy, while ICT + VEGF TT therapy offered some efficacy. Due to the heterogeneity of tRCC, insights into the biological underpinnings are necessary to develop more effective therapies.

Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) and renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) are two rare subtypes of kidney cancer with a poor prognosis in the metastatic setting. Beyond first-line treatment, there are no standard-of-care therapies. This retrospective study assessed the efficacy of treatments after first-line chemotherapy in 57 patients with metastatic (m) CDC (n = 35) or RMC (n = 22) treated between 2010 and 2019 at 11 French centers. The median age was 53 years; overall, 60% (n = 34) of patients were metastatic at diagnosis. After a median follow-up of 13 months, the median overall survival was 12 (95% CI, 11–16) months. All patients received first-line platinum chemotherapy ± bevacizumab, with a median time to progression of 7.27 (95% CI, 7–100 months and an objective response rate (ORR) of 39% (95% CI, 26–52%). Patients received a median of two (1–5) treatment lines. Subsequent treatments included tyrosine kinase inhibitors (n = 12), chemotherapy (n = 34), and checkpoint inhibitors (n = 20), with ORR ranging 10–15% and disease control rates ranging 24–50%. The duration of response for all treatments was ~2 months. Notably, nine patients with CDC were still alive > two years after metastatic diagnosis. Beyond first-line therapy, treatments showed very low antitumor activity in mCDC/RMC. A better understanding of the biology of those rare tumors is urgently needed in order to identify potential targets.

Resume Les cancers du rein non a cellules claires representent pres de 25 % de l’ensemble des cancers du rein, et constituent un groupe de tumeurs tres heterogenes a la fois en termes de varietes histologiques, mais egalement d’anomalies biologiques oncogeniques. La presentation clinique ainsi que le pronostic des patients sont egalement tres variables. Compte tenu de la rarete de chaque entite tumorale, il n’existe que tres peu d’essais cliniques ayant porte sur une variete bien definie de cancer non a cellules claires. Ceci rend difficile l’interpretation de ces etudes, et donc l’emission de recommandations claires de prise en charge medicale pour la maladie avancee. Dans cet article, les principales caracteristiques clinico-biologiques, ainsi qu’une synthese des resultats cliniques obtenus chez des patients atteints de cancers du rein non a cellules claires, hors chirurgie, seront presentes.

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an aggressive tumour driven by bi-allelic loss of SMARCB1 and tightly associated with sickle cell trait. However, the cell-of-origin and oncogenic mechanism remain poorly understood. Using single-cell sequencing of human RMC, we defined transformation of thick ascending limb (TAL) cells into three RMC cell states along an epithelial-mesenchymal gradient by loss of renal epithelial transcription factors TFCP2L1, HOXB9 and MITF and gain of MYC and NFE2L2-associated oncogenic and ferroptosis resistance programs. We describe the molecular basis for this transcriptional switch that is reversed by SMARCB1 re-expression repressing the oncogenic and ferroptosis resistance programs leading to ferroptotic cell death. Ferroptosis resistance links TAL cell survival with the high extracellular medullar iron concentrations associated with sickle cell trait, an environment propitious to the mutagenic events associated with RMC development. This unique environment may explain why RMC is the only SMARCB1-deficient tumour arising from epithelial cells, differentiating RMC from rhabdoid tumours arising from neural crest cells.

Renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 2% of cancer diagnoses and deaths worldwide. Clear-cell RCCs represent the vast majority (85%) of kidney cancers and are considered morphologically and genetically as immunogenic tumors. Indeed, the RCC tumoral microenvironment comprises T cells and myeloid cells in an immunosuppressive state, providing an opportunity to restore their activity through immunotherapy. Standard first-line systemic treatment for metastatic patients includes immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD1, in combination with either another ICI or with antiangiogenic targeted therapy. During the past few years, several combinations have been approved with an overall survival benefit and overall response rate that depend on the combination. Interestingly, some patients achieve prolonged complete responses, raising the question of whether these metastatic RCC patients can be cured. This review will focus on recent therapeutic advances in RCC and the clinical and biological aspects underpinning the potential for healing.

Simple Summary Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) represents 5 to 10% of urothelial carcinoma. Their mutational profile is different as compared to bladder urothelial carcinoma (UC). While immune checkpoint inhibitors are now part of the therapeutic landscape of urothelial carcinoma, data concerning their use in UTUC patient’s treatment remain scarce. The aim of this review is to summarize the available evidence and the biological rationale of using immune checkpoint inhibitors in high-grade UTUC. We reviewed the latest molecular characterization data and proposed an insight for future therapeutic strategies based on molecular alteration profiles. Abstract Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) represents a rare and aggressive malignancy arising from the renal pelvis or ureter. It can develop sporadically or have a hereditary origin, such as Lynch syndrome, caused by DNA mismatch repair deficiency, leading to microsatellite instability phenotype. According to molecular characterization studies, UTUC presents different mutational profiles as compared to urinary bladder urothelial carcinomas. In particular, it has been reported that UTUC harbored a higher level of FGFR3 alterations associated with a T-cell depleted immune microenvironment. The therapeutic landscape in urothelial carcinoma is rapidly evolving, with immune checkpoint inhibitors forming part of the standard of care. A greater understanding of the molecular alterations and immune microenvironment leads to the development of new treatment combinations and targeted therapy. This review summarizes the available evidence concerning the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the biological rationale underlying their use in high-grade UTUC.

Importance Patients with brain metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been underrepresented in clinical trials, and effective systemic therapy is lacking. Cabozantinib shows robust clinical activity in metastatic RCC, but its effect on brain metastases remains unclear. Objective To assess the clinical activity and toxic effects of cabozantinib to treat brain metastases in patients with metastatic RCC. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study included patients with metastatic RCC and brain metastases treated in 15 international institutions (US, Belgium, France, and Spain) between January 2014 and October 2020. Cohort A comprised patients with progressing brain metastases without concomitant brain-directed local therapy, and cohort B comprised patients with stable or progressing brain metastases concomitantly treated by brain-directed local therapy. Exposures Receipt of cabozantinib monotherapy at any line of treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures Intracranial radiological response rate by modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1, and toxic effects of cabozantinib. Results Of the 88 patients with brain metastases from RCC included in the study, 33 (38%) were in cohort A and 55 (62%) were in cohort B; the majority of patients were men (n = 69; 78%), and the median age at cabozantinib initiation was 61 years (range, 34-81 years). Median follow-up was 17 months (range, 2-74 months). The intracranial response rate was 55% (95% CI, 36%-73%) and 47% (95% CI, 33%-61%) in cohorts A and B, respectively. In cohort A, the extracranial response rate was 48% (95% CI, 31%-66%), median time to treatment failure was 8.9 months (95% CI, 5.9-12.3 months), and median overall survival was 15 months (95% CI, 9.0-30.0 months). In cohort B, the extracranial response rate was 38% (95% CI, 25%-52%), time to treatment failure was 9.7 months (95% CI, 6.0-13.2 months), and median overall survival was 16 months (95% CI, 12.0-21.9 months). Cabozantinib was well tolerated, with no unexpected toxic effects or neurological adverse events reported. No treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, cabozantinib showed considerable intracranial activity and an acceptable safety profile in patients with RCC and brain metastases. Support of prospective studies evaluating the efficacy of cabozantinib for brain metastases in patients with RCC is critical.

Sarcomatoid features in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have long been associated with dismal prognosis and poor response to therapy, while biological mechanisms underpinning sarcomatoid dedifferentiation remained obscure. Several efforts have been conducted to break down the molecular profile of sarcomatoid RCC and investigate different targeted therapeutic approaches. Mutations enriched for in sarcomatoid RCC involve, notably, TP53, BAP1, cell cycle, and chromatin-remodeling genes. The immunological landscape of these tumors is also gradually being uncovered, showing frequent expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and high levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. These features may be major determinants for the activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors in this population, which has been confirmed by retrospective studies and subgroup analyses of large randomized phase 3 trials. Combinations based on PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition have demonstrated response rates and complete responses in >50% and >10% of patients in the first-line metastatic setting, respectively, with median overall survival exceeding two years. This remarkable improvement in outcomes effectively establishes immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations as a new standard of care in patients with sarcomatoid RCC. New research fields, including epigenetic regulations and tumor−microenvironment interactions, may further sharpen understanding of sarcomatoid RCC and advance therapeutic developments.

274 Background: MiT family translocation renal cell carcinomas (TRCC) represent a rare and aggressive subgroup of RCC harboring high expression of c-MET. While response rates of VEGF receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor and immune checkpoint inhibitors are limited, efficacy of cabozantinib (a TKI that inhibits VEGFR, MET, and AXL) in this subgroup is unclear. Methods: We performed a multicentre, retrospective, international cohort study of patients with TRCC treated with cabozantinib regardless the line of treatment at 7 centers (3 in France and 4 in the US). The main objectives were to estimate response rate according to RECIST criteria, and to analyze progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Among 31 metastatic patients treated in the participating centers, 24 were evaluable for response and were included in this study (21 with TFE3 and 3 with TFEB translocations). Median age at diagnosis was 43.5 years (range, 22–70). Most frequent metastatic sites at diagnosis were lungs (62.5%), retroperitoneal lymph nodes (45.8%) and bone (37.5%). Patient’s IMDC risk group at diagnosis was favourable (20,8%), intermediate (62,5%) and poor (16,7%). Seven (29%) patients received cabozantinib at first line, 9 (37.5%) at second line and 8 (33%) at third line and beyond. The proportion of patients who achieved an objective response was 16.6%, including 1 complete response and 3 partial responses. For 11 (45.8%) patients, stable disease was the best response. With a median follow-up of 14 months (IQR 5-23), median PFS was 8.4 months (range, 1-34+) and median OS was 17 months (range, 2-43). No PFS difference was detected overall or in any subgroup except in patients with bone metastasis which harbored a median PFS of 3.6 months as compared to 9.1 months for those without (p=0.03). Conclusions: This real-world study provides evidence supporting activity of cabozantinib in TRCC, with more durable responses to therapy than those observed with of VEGF receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor and immune checkpoint inhibitors. International collaborations and prospective studies are necessary to identifies efficacious therapies for this rare disease that lacks evidence-based treatment options.