A phase 2 study called CaboPoint shows that cabozantinib is an effective second-line treatment for patients with advanced kidney cancer whose disease has progressed after modern immunotherapy.
The trial included 127 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who had already received checkpoint inhibitor-based treatments. Some had prior dual immunotherapy, while others had immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy. Across both groups, cabozantinib delivered strong results. Tumors shrank in about 40.5% of patients in one group and 27.5% in the other, while overall disease control exceeded 80% in both. Patients lived a median of about 24 months, and the time before the cancer worsened ranged from roughly 8 to 11 months.
The treatment was generally manageable in terms of safety. Most side effects, such as diarrhea, high blood pressure, and reduced appetite, were mild to moderate. Although more serious side effects occurred in some patients, doctors were able to manage them by lowering the dose, allowing patients to stay on therapy.
These findings provide strong evidence that cabozantinib remains a reliable option after first-line immunotherapy fails, helping establish it as a standard second-line treatment for advanced kidney cancer regardless of the initial regimen used.