Management of bone metastases in renal cell carcinoma: Bone-targeted treatments, systemic therapies, and radiotherapy

Abstract

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) presents with bone metastases in around 20%-30% of patients enrolled in the most recent first-line clinical trials. Emergence of several new agents in first line, in both monotherapy and combination, has significantly improved patient outcomes. However, the activity of such agents on bone metastases is unclear and management of these patients is complex, due to potential complications that can significantly impair quality of life. This review addresses mRCC diagnosis and monitoring and summarizes the current evidence on systemic therapy, ablative therapies such as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and surgery, and supportive therapy with bone-targeting agents for these patients, with the goal of improving their outcomes.