Immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer has made significant progresses over the last 20 years. Multiple efforts have been attempted to restore immune-mediated tumor elimination, leading to the development of several targeted immunotherapies. Data from recent clinical trials suggest that these agents might improve the prognosis of patients with advanced genito-urinary (GU) malignancies. Nivolumab has been the first immune checkpoint-inhibitor approved for pre-treated patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Pembrolizumab and atezolizumab have shown promising results in both phase I and II trials in urothelial carcinoma. Brentuximab vedotin has demonstrated early signals of clinical activity and immunomodulatory effects in highly pre-treated patients with testicular germ cell tumors. In this review, we have summarized the major clinical achievements of immunotherapy in GU cancers, focusing on immune checkpoint blockade as well as the new immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) under clinical evaluation for these malignancies.
Critical reviews in oncology/hematology. 2016 Jun 17 [Epub ahead of print]
Raffaele Ratta, Roberta Zappasodi, Daniele Raggi, Paolo Grassi, Elena Verzoni, Andrea Necchi, Massimo Di Nicola, Roberto Salvioni, Filippo de Braud, Giuseppe Procopio
Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy., Ludwig Collaborative and Swim Across America Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA., Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy., Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy., Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy., Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy., Unit of Immunotherapy and Anticancer Innovative Therapeutics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy., Department of Surgery, Urology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy., Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy., Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: .