Clinical Perspectives from Kidney Cancer Experts

By Dr. Daniel George
Chair, KCA Medical Steering Committee
Medical Oncologist, Duke University

There is much more to managing kidney cancer than what guidelines say or what clinical trials can test.

That’s why we’ve launched a new blog series. Clinical Perspectives will feature current practice trends from nationally recognized experts who treat people with kidney cancer every day. I’m excited to share insights from my colleagues in the KCA Medical Steering Committee as well as other clinicians who are leaders in their fields.

At the heart of the blog will be clinical decisions that people and their doctors must make around circumstances that are not covered by official guidelines, since such guidelines are limited to published clinical trial data that pertains only to certain patient populations.

I believe it is important for people with kidney cancer to read about practice trends for two reasons. First, so that we can all appreciate the “gray area” inherent in the forefront of medical practice. Second, so that people can use the expert experiences and case studies we share to communicate better with their own oncologists about their treatment plan.

Each blog entry will focus on a topic that impacts people living with kidney cancer and feature the clinical experience of several kidney cancer experts. For example, in the first piece, I talk about treating one of my patients with the same immunotherapy multiple times and why it’s a strategy that might work for more people than we previously thought. Read more about that here.

A professional writer and kidney cancer advocate, D’Ann George, will be working with the featured experts to help bring these clinical stories to life. She also happens to be my wife and therefore a very accessible collaborator.

Advancing science, clinical practice, and ultimately improving care and treatment options in kidney cancer begins with education and open discussion – two passions of mine. I hope this will be an interesting series for all of us in the kidney cancer community that will help achieve both.