Antiangiogenic therapy for kidney cancer

Antiangiogenic therapy is a treatment for kidney cancer that works by blocking the growth of blood vessels that feed the tumour. Tumours need blood vessels to grow and spread, so by stopping these blood vessels from forming, the therapy helps slow down or stop the cancer.

Antiangiogenic therapy is also known as targeted therapy because it focuses on specific parts of cancer cells or the blood vessels that feed them. Unlike regular chemotherapy, which affects both healthy and cancer cells, targeted therapy only attacks the cancer cells.

How it works

• Blood vessels give tumours the nutrients and oxygen they need to grow. Antiangiogenic drugs block the signals that tell the body to create these blood vessels.
• Without these new blood vessels, the tumour has a harder time growing or spreading.

Most antiangiogenic treatments are pills that you can take at home. Some are given through an IV, so you would need to go to the hospital for those.

An IV (intravenous) is a way of giving medicine or fluids directly into your body through a small tube that's placed in a vein, usually in your arm. It allows the medicine to be delivered quickly and directly into your bloodstream.

Common antiangiogenic drugs are:

• Sunitinib
• Pazopanib
• Axitinib
• Sorafenib
• Cabozantinib
• Lenvatinib
• Tivozanib
• Bevacizumab (combined with immunotherapy)

If the drug you are taking doesn’t work well or doesn’t help with your symptoms, you can talk to your doctor about trying a different one

What are the side effects?

• Since these medicines affect blood vessels, they can cause side effects like high blood pressure, tiredness, or slow healing of cuts or wounds. It’s important to talk to your doctor about any possible side effects before starting treatment.
• Some of these medicines may make you feel much more tired than usual and have low energy that doesn’t improve after sleeping. You might also feel pain in your joints, muscles, or chest. This tiredness can be caused by the treatment, but it could also be because of the tumour or its spread to other parts of the body.
• Some of these medicines may make you sick or nauseous, and you might also have diarrhoea or constipation (when you have difficulty passing stool). If this happens, let your medical team know. Your doctor can give you medicine to help with these symptoms.
• Another possible symptom is a sore mouth. A mouthwash can help to relieve the symptoms, but avoid mouthwashes which contain alcohol, peroxide, iodine, or thyme because these can make the soreness worse. Ask your medical team for suggestions of brands you can use.

Ask your doctor to explain the side effects of each drug, so you can make an informed decision together about which would be right for you.

Last updated: February 2025