ArticleTargeted oncology2026
Real-World Outcomes of Adjuvant Pembrolizumab for Renal Cell Carcinoma: The Potential Role of PD-L1 as a Prognostic Biomarker.
Article in Targeted oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundReal-world data on adjuvant pembrolizumab after surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are limited.
objectiveTo clarify the real-world outcomes of adjuvant pembrolizumab for patients with RCC with a high risk of recurrence. PATIENTS AND
methodsWe retrospectively evaluated the clinicopathological data of 53 patients who received pembrolizumab as an adjuvant therapy after curative surgery for RCC on the basis of the criteria of the KEYNOTE-564 trial. The efficacy and safety profiles were assessed. The potential of PD-L1 expression as a biomarker of recurrence was evaluated in 35 RCC samples using the combined positive score (CPS).
resultsThe median follow-up period was 18.9 months. On the basis of the KEYNOTE-564 criteria, 45 patients (85%) were categorized into the intermediate-to-high-risk group. A total of 11 patients (21%) experienced recurrence, with a 12-month disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 90.5%. Patients with high PD-L1 CPS (≥ 10) had a higher recurrence rate than those with low PD-L1 CPS (< 10) (44% versus 5%, p = 0.0130). DFS was shorter in patients with high PD-L1 expression than in those with low PD-L1 expression (median: 24.0 months versus not reached, p = 0.0116). Grade ≥ 3 adverse events occurred in 13 patients (25%), and treatment discontinuation was required in 11 patients (21%).
conclusionsAdjuvant pembrolizumab exhibited feasible efficacy and manageable safety profiles for high-risk RCC in a real-world population. Further studies with longer follow-up periods and larger sample sizes are needed to confirm overall survival benefit, long-term toxicity, and the potential role of PD-L1 as a prognostic biomarker.
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