Concomitant renal cell carcinoma and chronic myelogenous leukemia: use of a targeted approach

Curr Oncol. 2009 Mar;16(2):44-7. doi: 10.3747/co.v16i2.301.

Abstract

Numerous therapeutic options have been introduced for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) in recent years, including monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab and small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as sunitinib and sorafenib. Similarly, several other small-molecule inhibitors-including imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib-have been approved for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The combination of these targeted agents is an area of intense clinical investigation. Here, we describe a patient diagnosed with MRCC)while on imatinib therapy for cml. Treatment of this patient with the combination of bevacizumab and imatinib led to a 6-month period of stable disease, with no treatment-related adverse events. More extensive clinical exploration of this combination of agents may therefore be warranted.

Keywords: Imatinib; bevacizumab; chronic myelogenous leukemia; erlotinib; renal cell carcinoma.