Current clinical trials in renal cell carcinoma

The treatment of renal cell carcinoma remains primarily surgical. Consequently, it is not surprising that urologists have been active in the design and operation of clinical trials for patients with kidney cancer. Currently, clinical trial efforts of the urologic community are focused on the adjuvant setting in patients undergoing nephrectomy at high risk for recurrence or metastasis. As newer agents become available and are applied earlier during the course of the disease, the involvement of urologists in clinical trials in renal cell carcinoma will increase. This review highlights several key trials currently available for patients with kidney cancer.