Dr. Emre Yekedüz is a medical oncologist and research fellow in medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Dr. Emre Yekedüz

Dr. Emre Yekedüz discusses how ASCO 2025 highlights precision medicine, biomarkers and the gut microbiome as keys to advancing kidney cancer care.

What is on the Horizon for Kidney Cancer?

At the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, Dr. Emre Yekedüz, a medical oncologist and research fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, emphasized that the future of kidney cancer care is increasingly centered on personalization.

He pointed to ongoing efforts to match patients with treatments most likely to benefit them, particularly through the use of biomarkers and exploratory analyses across early-stage and metastatic kidney cancer trials.

He also noted growing interest in the gut microbiome’s role in kidney cancer outcomes. Although many findings still need validation, Yekedüz believes precision medicine and post-immunotherapy combination strategies are bringing new hope to patients.

Kidney cancer can develop in different parts of the kidney and includes several types. The most common in adults is renal cell carcinoma, which begins in the lining of small tubes that filter blood and help produce urine. Transitional cell cancer forms in the renal pelvis, the area in the center of the kidney where urine collects. Wilms tumor, a rare type, usually occurs in children, according to the National Cancer Institute.

What are the key themes or takeaways from the 2025 ASCO Meeting that you believe patients with kidney cancer should be most aware of?

There is a huge effort to select patients who will get more benefit from treatment. At ASCO25, there's a session on biomarkers in kidney cancer, and we’ll learn more about selecting the right patient for the right treatment. In this context, we will see results from new adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and metastatic kidney cancer trials, including exploratory analyses. We’ll also discuss the effect of the gut microbiome on kidney cancer. However, we still need more data and validation of these findings in the future.

I can say that the future is bright in kidney cancer. The new ASCO meeting will bring more hope and more options to our patients. We’ll be waiting for the next steps of early, promising data that will be presented at ASCO25. New combinations, especially after immunotherapy failure, are on the way, and precision medicine is getting stronger through exploratory analyses for selecting the right patient for the right treatment. Today, we have more hope than yesterday.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness

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A variant in the IL-7 gene may predict which patients with kidney cancer are more likely to experience side effects from immunotherapy.

Gene Variant May Predict Side Effects From Kidney Cancer Immunotherapy

A gene linked to immune system function may help predict which patients with kidney cancer are more likely to experience side effects from immunotherapy, according to research highlighted by Dr. Emre Yekedüz.

The findings, which will be presented by Dr. Eddy Saad at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, highlight a specific variation in the interleukin-7 (IL-7) gene. This single nucleotide polymorphism was associated with a higher risk of immune-related adverse events, or side effects, in patients receiving treatment.

Side effects of grade 2 (moderate) or higher occurred in 33.3% of patients treated with Opdivo (nivolumab) and 40.4% of those treated with Afinitor (everolimus). In the Opdivo arm, the most common side effects were skin-related (21%), liver-related (16.8%) and endocrine (15.8%). In the Afinitor arm, respiratory (30.1%), skin-related (22.3%) and gastrointestinal (19.4%) side effects were most common.

The rate of grade 2 or higher side effects was significantly higher in variant-positive patients compared with variant-negative patients treated with Opdivo, this pattern was not observed in patients receiving Afinitor. Recurrent side effects followed a similar pattern, with higher rates in variant-positive patients receiving Opdivo and a possible trend toward lower rates in those receiving Afinitor.

This finding could lead to more personalized strategies for reducing toxicity in patients with kidney cancer, as per Yekedüz.

Yekedüz is a medical oncologist and research fellow in medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Are there any noteworthy studies being presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting that could help patients better understand or manage potential side effects from immunotherapy?

I’d like to highlight a poster [being presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting] that will be presented during the poster session. It evaluates the role of the interleukin-7 (IL-7) gene, which is involved in immune pathways for patients receiving immunotherapy. The study, to be presented by Dr. Eddy Saad from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, found that a single nucleotide polymorphism in IL-7 is associated with an increased risk of immune-related side effects in these patients.

Moving forward, we may be able to use this information to identify patients at higher risk for these side effects and reduce toxicity for those with renal cell carcinoma.

Dr. Emre Yekedüz discusses his top 3 key takeaways from attending the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium.

Top 3 Takeaways From ASCO GU 2025

Ensuring optimal treatment strategies for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains a key focus in oncology, particularly in the second line and beyond for metastatic disease. According to Dr. Emre Yekedüz, recent data from the 

2025 ASCO Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium

 highlighted several promising developments in kidney cancer treatment.

During the meeting, investigators presented findings on the combination of Lenvima (lenvatinib) and Welireg (belzutifan), a regimen showing potential in metastatic clear cell RCC. Additionally, research on the kidney injury molecule-1 biomarker suggested its role in predicting prognosis and survival for patients receiving nivolumab plus ipilimumab.

In the interview, Yekedüz also discussed early-phase data on a novel HIF-2α inhibitor, which demonstrated a 30% objective response rate as a single agent in the second-line setting. Ongoing phase 3 trials will further evaluate this agent’s potential in RCC treatment, he explained in an interview with CURE.

The first one is actually the combination regimen the [Lenvima], which is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is used in our [patients with] kidney cancer. And another one, [Welireg] is a HIF-2α inhibitor we can use in our [patients with] kidney cancer. The combination of these two regimens is promising in the second line of treatment and beyond in [patients with] metastatic clear cell RCC.

The second one, the kidney injury molecule-1, is a promising biomarker for evaluation of prognosis and also predicting survival in [patients with] metastatic clear cell RCC receiving [Opdivo (nivolumab) plus [Yervoy (ipilimumab)]. These are the immune checkpoint inhibitors in that we use in our [patients with] kidney cancer.

The third one is a novel HIF-2α inhibitor, which is a target for our [patients with] kidney cancer. Casdatifan is on the way. So the early phase 1 trial was presented by Dr. Toni Choueiri, and with 30% objective response rate as a single agent in the second line and treatment and beyond in [patients with] metastatic clear cell RCC. So actually, we are waiting for other combinations with the phase 3 trials. So this is a novel and promising agent for our [patients with] kidney cancer. I can say these [are] three important topics, from ASCO GU 2025.

Dr. Emre Yekedüz highlighted strategies that may improve patients' quality of life and mitigate treatment-related side effects in renal cell carcinoma.

Investigating Quality of Life and Treatment Adherence in Kidney Cancer

Ensuring treatment adherence while minimizing side effects is a critical component of effective cancer care, specifically in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a kind of kidney cancer. According to Dr. Emre Yekedüz, side effect management remains a priority in kidney cancer care following data read-outs at the 

During the meeting, investigators shared information on a novel health-related quality-of-life questionnaire which was designed to assess functional well-being, emotional health, physical symptoms and treatment-related side effects in patients with localized RCC. Tools like these may help optimize symptom management, Yekedüz emphasized in an interview with CURE.

In the interview, he also discussed key findings from ongoing studies shared at the meeting. Yekedüz, a medical oncologist and research fellow in medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, also highlighted strategies that may improve patients' quality of life and mitigate treatment-related side effects.

Treatment adherence is essential in cancer care, so we must always consider side effect management and quality of life for our patients. A novel questionnaire was presented at the 2025 ASCO GU Symposium, [evaluating] novel health-related quality-of-life [measures]. This [tool] aimed to assess the functional well-being and emotional health in patients with localized RCC, as well as their physical symptoms and treatment side effects. Health-related quality-of-life tools can enhance symptom management, allowing us to optimize treatment strategies and assessments. 

Additionally, an abstract … evaluated Bavencio [avelumab] plus Inlyta [axitinib] — a combination commonly used for patients with clear cell RCC. According to the study design, if a response was observed with this combination, Inlyta could be discontinued while continuing Bavencio. However, if the disease progressed, Inlyta could be reintroduced. The study demonstrated a 50% partial response rate with the reintroduction of Inlyta, warranting further investigation. 

By [implementing] this strategy, we can [improve] patients' quality of life, reduce side effects during treatment, and enhance adherence throughout the treatment course. 

Dr. Emre Yekedüz

What is on the Horizon for Kidney Cancer?

Gene Variant May Predict Side Effects From Kidney Cancer Immunotherapy

Top 3 Takeaways From ASCO GU 2025

Investigating Quality of Life and Treatment Adherence in Kidney Cancer

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