Study of Antiangiogenic Therapy for Kidney Cancer

Name of the Trial
Phase III Randomized Study of Interferon alfa-2b with or without Bevacizumab in Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (CALGB-90206). See the protocol summary at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/CALGB-90206.

Principal Investigators
Dr. Brian Rini of the University of California-San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center and Dr. Simon Tanguay of the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

Why Is This Trial Important?
Renal cell cancer, also known as kidney cancer, can often be cured if it is diagnosed and treated when still localized to the kidney and the immediately surrounding tissue. However, the prognosis for patients with advanced renal cell cancer is poor.

Interferon alfa-2b is a standard initial treatment for advanced kidney cancer and may have an antitumor effect via multiple mechanisms. In addition to stimulation of the immune system, interferon may decrease blood vessel formation to tumors, a process called angiogenesis. Adding another antiangiogenic agent such as bevacizumab (Avastin™) may improve the effectiveness of this initial kidney cancer treatment. Bevacizumab is an antibody that attaches to and neutralizes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the major pro-angiogenic protein. This trial will compare the effectiveness of interferon alfa-2b plus bevacizumab versus interferon alfa-2b alone in treating patients who have advanced renal cell carcinoma.

"This is the first phase III trial investigating a possible survival benefit from bevacizumab for kidney cancer," said Dr. Rini. "Because bevacizumab specifically blocks VEGF, a protein that is important in tumor angiogenesis and overexpressed as a result of the inherent biology of renal cell carcinoma, we believe that this type of therapy will be a major new therapeutic force in the treatment of the disease."

Who Can Join This Trial?
This trial seeks to enroll 700 patients age 18 and older with advanced renal cell carcinoma. See the full list of eligibility criteria for this trial at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/CALGB-90206.

Where Is This Trial Taking Place?
Study sites in the United States and Canada are enrolling patients in this trial. See the list of study sites at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/CALGB-90206.

Who to Contact
See the list of study contacts at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ CALGB-90206 or call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). The call is toll-free and completely confidential.