This is a prospective, non-interventional observational cohort study evaluating the clinical utility of patient-specific circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring in patients with advanced non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy. Tumor-informed personalized ctDNA assays will be developed based on tumor tissue and matched normal blood samples, and ctDNA will be longitudinally assessed at predefined time points during treatment. The primary objectives are to evaluate the associations of baseline ctDNA status with progression-free survival and objective response rate. Secondary and exploratory analyses will assess overall survival, disease control, duration of response, longitudinal ctDNA dynamics, radiographic tumor burden, and molecular progression.
Patients with unresectable or metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma who are scheduled to receive immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy according to routine clinical practice will be prospectively enrolled. Treatment regimens may include immune checkpoint inhibitor plus targeted therapy, dual immune checkpoint blockade, or immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. Treatment selection will not be determined by this study. For each participant, tumor tissue and matched normal peripheral blood will be analyzed to identify patient-specific somatic variants and establish a personalized tumor-informed ctDNA assay. Peripheral blood for longitudinal ctDNA monitoring will be collected before treatment, during early treatment, at the first radiographic assessment, during subsequent radiographic evaluations when feasible, and at disease progression or treatment discontinuation. The primary analyses will compare progression-free survival and objective response rate between patients with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA. Secondary analyses will evaluate overall survival, disease control rate, and duration of response. Exploratory analyses will characterize longitudinal ctDNA patterns, including persistently negative, positive-to-negative, persistently positive, and negative-to-positive patterns, and investigate their associations with clinical outcomes, radiographic tumor burden, and the timing of disease progression. Research ctDNA results will be used for scientific analysis and supportive clinical assessment and will not serve as the primary basis for treatment decisions.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
67
Tumor tissue and matched normal blood will undergo genomic analysis to identify patient-specific somatic variants for development of a personalized tumor-informed ctDNA assay. Longitudinal plasma samples will subsequently be analyzed for ctDNA during systemic therapy. The assay is used for research monitoring and does not determine treatment selection.
Progression-Free Survival According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Progression-free survival (PFS) will be defined as the time from initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy to radiographic disease progression according to RECIST version 1.1 or death from any cause, whichever occurs first. PFS will be compared between participants with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA. The primary effect estimate will be the hazard ratio with its 95% confidence interval.
Time frame: From treatment initiation until disease progression or death, assessed through December 2028
Objective Response Rate According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Objective response rate (ORR) will be defined as the proportion of participants achieving a best overall response of complete response or partial response according to RECIST version 1.1. ORR will be compared between participants with detectable and undetectable baseline ctDNA.
Time frame: From treatment initiation through disease progression, assessed approximately every 8-12 weeks through December 2028
Overall Survival According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Overall survival will be defined as the time from initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based systemic therapy to death from any cause and will be compared according to baseline ctDNA status.
Time frame: From treatment initiation until death from any cause, assessed through December 2028
Disease Control Rate According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Disease control rate will be defined as the proportion of participants achieving complete response, partial response, or stable disease as the best overall response according to RECIST version 1.1 and will be compared according to baseline ctDNA status.
Time frame: From treatment initiation through disease progression, assessed through December 2028
Duration of Response According to Baseline ctDNA Status
Among participants achieving complete or partial response, duration of response will be defined as the time from the first documented objective response until radiographic disease progression or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: From first documented response until disease progression or death, assessed through December 2028
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