Kidney Cancer and Immunotherapy with Dr. Saby George

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07/10/23

Dr. Saby George of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center leads a Q&A about combination therapies, clinical trials, and new promise in kidney cancer. #CRIsummit #Immunotherapy  https://www.cancerresearch.org/virtualsummit  

Immunotherapy for kidney cancer—also called renal cell cancer—has tremendously changed the treatment landscape and overall survival of patients with metastatic kidney cancer. Oncologists have seen positive results in combining immunotherapy with conventional treatments such as surgery, laparoscopy, ablation, and targeted therapy. https://www.cancerresearch.org..../immunotherapy/cance

00:00 – Welcome from Tamron Hall
01:02 – Why is Kidney Cancer Difficult to treat?
08:59 – Promise of Immunotherapy
09:15 – Live Q&A

In this video, Dr. George opens with an overview of kidney cancer and immunotherapy. He describes the characteristics of kidney cancer and why it is challenging to treat. He reviews the history of immunotherapy for kidney cancer, focusing particularly on a rapid period of discovery between 2015-2018 during which checkpoint inhibitors and combinations were first approved for kidney cancer. He looks to the future of immunotherapy for kidney cancer, discussing immunotherapy combination trials that show great promise.

Dr. George then fielded questions from the audience:
- What do you think are promising immunotherapies for kidney cancer?
- Do I need to discontinue my other treatments in order to receive immunotherapy?
- How long does it take for immunotherapy treatment to work and how will I know when it’s working?
- What is the difference between a “hot” tumor and a “cold” tumor?
- How long should we proceed with immunotherapy once a complete response has been achieved?
- What are potential side effects of immunotherapy? What are the immediate side effects and what are the long-term side effects? How are these side effect managed?
- How is COVID-19 affecting kidney cancer patient cancer treatments? And are kidney cancer patients more susceptible to COVID-19?
- Can I still receive a COVID-19 vaccine if I am on immunotherapy?

Dr. Saby George is a medical oncologist specializing in the management of kidney, prostate, and bladder cancers. An attending physician and associate professor of oncology within the Department of Medicine at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, he is a passionate advocate of advancing patient care and quality of life through clinical research. Dr. George helped pave the way for approval of nivolumab, the ipilimumab/nivolumab combination, and similar checkpoint-inhibitor immunotherapies for treatment of some forms of kidney cancer through his role as Roswell Park site lead on several major international clinical trials. He continues to lead studies exploring emerging cancer therapies and treatment strategies. A Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. George is board-certified in medical oncology. He holds an additional faculty appointment in the Department of Medicine within the University of Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Established in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing our immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers. Our mission: Save more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all types of cancer. To accomplish this, we rely on donor support and collaborative partnerships to fund and carry out the most innovative clinical and laboratory research around the world, support the next generation of the field’s leaders, and serve as the trusted source of information on immunotherapy for cancer patients and their caregivers. https://www.cancerresearch.org

Cancer Research Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 13-1837442. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.