New Drug Combo Helps Some Kidney Cancer Patients Live Longer
Published On 31 Oct, 2026
9 News HD: A new combination of two cancer drugs has shown promising results in helping some patients with advanced kidney cancer live longer, according to a recent study.
The findings suggest that the treatment could offer another option for patients who cannot use certain immune-based cancer medicines or cannot afford their high costs.
The study tested two targeted therapy drugs, Votrient and Avastin, in 51 patients with advanced clear cell kidney cancer. These patients had cancer that had already spread to other parts of the body when it was first diagnosed.
Researchers gave the patients both medicines on an alternating basis. The results showed that patients lived for a median of 63.2 months. Their cancer also remained under control without getting worse for a median of 24.8 months.
The researchers found even stronger results among 33 patients who were placed in the favorable-risk group. Their median overall survival reached 76.9 months, while the time before their cancer progressed was 28.5 months.
According to the study, both medicines work by blocking a protein called VEGF, which helps tumors grow by supplying them with blood and nutrients. Using the drugs together may help control cancer growth for certain patients.
Dr Saby George of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, who led the study, said the treatment could provide an important option because its cost is lower than some modern immunotherapy combinations.
The findings were published in The Lancet Oncology. However, the trial involved a small group of patients, and further research will be important to understand how widely this treatment can be used.
The results offer encouraging news for some people living with advanced kidney cancer, particularly those who have limited treatment options.
