CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Genitourinary Oncology
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1606414
This article is part of the Research TopicKidney Cancer Awareness Month 2025: Current Progress and Future Prospects on Kidney Cancer Prevention, Diagnosis and TreatmentView all 5 articles
Significant response to toripalimab plus axitinib for metastatic chromophobe renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid differentiation: a case report and literature review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Qingdao University Medical College Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong Province, China
- 2Second Clinical Medical College, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- 3School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, China
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Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) is a rare subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Sarcomatoid differentiation is considered a result of dedifferentiation of the primary tumor. The coexistence of both components (chromophobe and sarcomatoid) in a single renal tumor has been infrequently reported. Currently, only isolated cases of metastatic sarcomatoid chRCC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or targeted therapies have been documented. Here, we present the first case of metastatic sarcomatoid chRCC treated with toripalimab plus axitinib and provide a review of the relevant literature. During a routine physical examination, a 58-year-old male was found to have a left renal mass. Subsequent imaging with computed tomography urography (CTU) revealed a 3.4 × 2.3 cm hypovascular tumor located in the middle pole of the left kidney, which was clinically diagnosed as left renal cell carcinoma. The patient underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic left radical nephrectomy, and histological analysis confirmed the presence of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid differentiation. Unfortunately, twelve months post-surgery, the patient was diagnosed with retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis. Treatment with toripalimab (3mg/kg, every 2weeks) plus axitinib (5 mg orally twice daily with a 12-hour interval) was initiated, and a significant response was observed after eight months. The treatment was well tolerated, with no significant adverse reactions, and the patient is currently continuing the treatment. Metastatic chromophobe renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid 3 differentiation is an extremely rare occurrence. The combination of toripalimab and axitinib may represent a promising treatment option for patients with chRCC and sarcomatoid differentiation.
Keywords: Non-clear renal cell carcinoma, Sarcomatoid differentiation, Immune checkpoint inhibitor, Toripalimab, axitinib
Received: 05 Apr 2025; Accepted: 26 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Tang, Sun, Liu, Zhao and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hongwei Zhao, Qingdao University Medical College Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong Province, China
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