Updated CheckMate 214 Results Support Ipi-Nivo for Favorable-Risk Kidney Cancer
Key Points
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Early data from the CheckMate 214 trial demonstrated worse overall survival with ipilimumab and nivolumab (ipi-nivo) in patients with favorable-risk kidney cancer versus those treated with sunitinib.
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Nine-year follow-up data showed the curves flip in favor of ipi-nivo in the favorable-risk population.
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Experts see updated findings affecting treatment guidelines.
In a presentation at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, 9-year follow-up data from the CheckMate 214 trial showed promising long-term survival in patients with favorable-risk kidney cancer treated with ipi-nivo. Notably, earlier analyses had associated ipi-nivo with worse overall survival compared with sunitinib in the favorable-risk subgroup.
At the ASCO meeting, Albert Jang, MD, of University Hospitals of Cleveland, asked Michael Serzan, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, how he viewed the updated data. “I think that’s really important because it’s changed [National Comprehensive Cancer Network] guidelines for favorable risk disease, and it’s changed our practice—I often do talk about ipi-nivo when talking about systemic therapies with patients,” Dr. Serzan said.
Furthermore, Dr. Serzan has begun incorporating surgery for metastatic lesions or radiation therapy to localized sites that are showing progression while the rest of the disease is still indolent.