Novel therapeutic options for second-line therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has gained a variety of therapeutic options since the introduction of targeted therapy, starting in 2007. The basic molecular mechanisms included predominantly the targeting of vascular endothelial growth factor or the inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin. Recently, results from two randomized controlled trials, the CheckMate-25 and the METEOR trial, regarding therapy for RCC in the second-line setting have been published. In the present review, the current status of second-line therapy in mRCC is discussed, together with results from the two newly introduced substances, nivolumab and cabozantinib.