This module details our current understanding of the molecular pathways that underlie renal cell carcinoma (RCC) development and their potential for therapeutic targeting. After reviewing some basic RCC statistics, the module provides a historical overview of RCC treatment that focuses on the roles of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy in RCC. Whereas surgery is potentially curative for early-stage disease, individuals with metastatic RCC have significant treatment needs that are not adequately met by any of the treatment modalities previously listed. To address these unmet needs, intensive research has been devoted to understanding the molecular mechanisms contributing to RCC pathogenesis, particularly the process of angiogenesis, so that rational therapeutic approaches can be developed. Out of these efforts, researchers have come to appreciate the role of the von Hippel-Lindau protein and its key downstream effectors in RCC pathology, including hypoxia inducible factor 1α, vascular endothelial growth factor, and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). These molecular pathways are reviewed, along with the therapeutic agents targeting them.





MODULE I
Slide Deck 1 Understanding Renal Cell Carcinoma

Ronald M. Bukowski, MD
Director, Experimental Therapeutics
Taussig Cancer Center
Professor of Medicine
Cleveland Clinic Foundation Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio

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