IL-2 in Treatment of mRCC: Clinical Application and Improvement

Worldwide, the incidence of renal cell carcinoma ranks third among malignant tumors of the genitourinary system. Because renal cancer is not sensitive to radiotherapy or chemotherapy, immunotherapy has been the basic treatment for metastatic renal cancer for many years. For people with stage IV solid tumors, interleukin-2 (IL-2) was once one of the few medications that may result in complete responses (CRs), which were frequently long-lasting for decades without additional treatment. IL-2-related therapies have been used to treat kidney cancer for more than 20 years. Although its wide clinical application is still subject to various limitations, and new molecular targeted therapies have received more attention in recent years, IL-2, as the only drug that can cure metastatic kidney cancer, has great clinical value that cannot be ignored. This article summarizes the clinical application of IL-2 in renal cancer and the latest research progress, analyses data from several articles, and discusses the improvement methods, such as how to strive to find safer and more effective IL-2 treatment methods to reduce its side effects and enhance patient tolerance, and combining IL-2 with other immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors or CAR-T cell therapy, may result in a more potent anti-tumor effect. With a deeper understanding of individual patient's immune systems, there may be a trend towards personalized or customized IL-2 treatment to better meet specific patient needs.