Highlights from ASCO 2026: focus on immuno-oncology in kidney cancer

Summary Current treatment options for advanced kidney cancer rely on small molecules targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF2α), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as well as antibodies directed against immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antagonists, in particular, represent the cornerstone of modern therapies for early-stage and advanced disease. The 2026 ASCO annual meeting focused on immuno-oncology (IO) and delivered praxis-defining data for both clear cell (cc) and non-clear cell (ncc) renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The RAMPART trial evaluated adjuvant durvalumab in high-risk RCC patients, whereas the exploratory analysis of the KEYNOTE-564 trial defined the role of circulating tumor (ct) DNA as a biomarker of disease recurrence after nephrectomy. In the metastatic setting, two clinical trials confirmed the efficacy of treatment regimens combining ICIs and TKIs for nccRCC. Overall, these studies confirm the key role of IO in RCC across the entire disease spectrum.