title: [Prognostic factors for predicting the success of immunotherapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma].
abstract: Only approximately 20% of the patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who undergo systemic immunotherapy will respond to this form of treatment. Appropriate selection of patients could exclude many who will not benefit from immunotherapy from a toxic and expensive treatment. Several factors predicting the outcome of immunotherapy have been reported so far. These predictors can be classified into (1) patient-related factors, (2) tumour-related factors and (3) alterations of the immune system during immunotherapy. Performance status and the interval between tumour nephrectomy and metastasization are the most important patient-related factors. Liver metastases are apparently an unfavourable tumour-related prognostic factor. Various alterations of the immune system during immunotherapy are significantly linked with the outcome of the treatment. In consequence, the prospective investigation of prognostic factors within clinical trials appears to be mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Urologische Klinik, Universität Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Schmitz-Dräger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jankevicius
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otto
mesh_terms: D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate