Chemotherapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)

In 1998, it was estimated that 29,900 cases (male: 17,600 and female: 12,300) of kidney cancer were diagnosed in the United States, with 11,600 patients (male: 7100 and female: 4500) succumbing to metastatic disease (1). The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma remains a challenge. Although modest responses to immunotherapy with interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon (INF) can be observed in with metastatic disease, cytotoxic therapy is ineffective. The last comprehensive review of this subject by Yagoda et al. in 1995 found an overall response rate of 6% in 4093 adequately treated patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A slight improvement in this response rate to 14.6% was found in patients treated with Floxuridine or 5-fluorouracil (2).