Management of Metastatic Nonclear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: What are the Options and Challenges?

This case presents a 68-yr-old female patient with primary metastatic nonclear renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with multiple bone lesions. The patient underwent a single resection of skull bone lesion (diagnostic for poorly differentiated carcinoma of unknown origin) and cytoreductive nephrectomy. The pathology of the kidney specimen demonstrated an oncocytic papillary RCC. Within 3 mo, she developed skeletal progressive disease and was started on systemic therapy (sunitinib). After initial stabilization, bone metastasis progressed during the third cycle of sunitinib and required second-line therapy (cabozantinib). One of the major unmet needs in non-clear cell RCC is the lack of specific systemic therapy. Data on immunotherapy are still limited. Inclusion of these patients in clinical trials is strongly recommended. PATIENT SUMMARY: Patients with metastatic kidney cancer who present with the less common histological subtype (non-clear cell) have poor survival. In this case, the patient responded to second-line therapy. Very few therapies provide response to treatment. Patients should be offered participation in clinical trials testing combinations with immunotherapy.