Setting a new standard for long-term survival in metastatic kidney cancer

Five-year follow-up data from the pivotal CheckMate-214 trial demonstrated a persistent survival benefit with nivolumab and ipilimumab versus sunitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The analysis by Motzer et al in this issue exposed the limits of pretreatment risk stratification in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, particularly those who experienced a durable response to treatment, and highlighted the practice-informing nature of conditional outcomes.

Automated summary

The five-year follow-up data from the CheckMate-214 trial demonstrates the persistent survival benefit of nivolumab and ipilimumab compared to sunitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The study highlights the limitations of pretreatment risk stratification, particularly for patients who have a durable response to treatment, and emphasizes the importance of conditional outcomes in guiding clinical practice.