Opdivo for Kidney Cancer: Treatment, Side Effects, and Effectiveness
Opdivo (nivolumab) is a medication used to treat advanced renal cell cancer (kidney cancer). Opdivo is an immunotherapy drug, meaning it works with the body’s immune system to help it fight tumor cells. In many cases, doctors will treat patients with Opdivo after other treatment options, such as chemotherapy or surgery, have not been successful. Doctors may administer Opdivo on its own or in combination with another drug.
This article provides information about how Opdivo works, when it is used, who it may be prescribed to, and what side effects people may experience. On this page, there are also details about Opdivo’s effectiveness and the possible causes of kidney cancer.
About Opdivo and Kidney Cancer:
How Does Opdivo Work in Kidney Cancer?
When Is Opdivo Prescribed for Kidney Cancer Patients?
How Effective Is Opdivo for Kidney Cancer?
Opdivo Side Effects in Kidney Cancer Patients
Who Can Take Opdivo for Kidney Cancer?
Opdivo Costs and Insurance Coverage
King Law Is Investigating Cases from Kidney Cancer Patients Taking Opdivo
What Is Opdivo?
Opdivo, which is also known by its generic name, nivolumab, is an immunotherapy drug. It is used to treat renal cell carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer), as well as Hodgkin lymphoma, colorectal cancer, and other types of cancer. The FDA approved Opdivo in late 2014. It is manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb. Opdivo is often used in combination with other medications to make it more effective. Opdivo is a checkpoint inhibitor, which means it helps the body identify and get rid of cancer cells by changing how some proteins on immune system cells interact with tumor cells.
How Does Opdivo Work in Kidney Cancer?
Opdivo helps the immune system respond to cancer cells, and it may be used in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma or kidney cancer that has spread (metastasized) to other parts of their body. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of adult kidney cancer. Opdivo is often the drug of choice if the patient’s cancer has spread or is not responding to other treatments.
Opdivo trains the proteins on T cells (immune cells) to know whether something is a cancer cell or not. This correction can help the patient’s body fight the cancer and limit the number of healthy cells that are destroyed in the process. Doctors may prescribe nivolumab and other immunotherapy or chemotherapy medications, such as Yervoy, at the same time. These additional medications can increase how effective they are at helping the body attack tumor cells.
When Is Opdivo Prescribed for Kidney Cancer Patients?
Doctors may prescribe Opdivo at different stages of a person’s kidney cancer treatment. For example, it can be part of the treatment regimen during their first or second round of treatment. Or it may be used after other treatment options, like surgery or chemotherapy, have been tried without success.
First-Line Treatment in Combination with Yervoy
The FDA has approved the use of Opdivo as a first-line treatment for patients who have intermediate, poor risk, or advanced renal cell carcinoma. Typically, Opdivo would be given along with another medication (which is known as combination therapy), such as Cabometyx (cabozantinib) or Yervoy (ipilimumab). The combination of drugs is thought to help newly diagnosed patients fight off the cancer naturally without surgery or chemotherapy.
Second-Line or Subsequent Therapy After Other Treatments
The FDA has also approved Opdivo when other treatments, like VEGF-targeted therapies, have been unsuccessful. VEGF stands for vascular endothelial growth factor, which is a protein that helps your body create new blood vessels in cancerous and non-cancerous cells. VEGF-targeted therapies like sunitinib (Sutent) aim to interrupt the process of your body supplying the tumor with blood (i.e., fuel). Opdivo may be prescribed if these other, targeted therapies are not beneficial or the person’s cancer progresses.
How Effective Is Opdivo for Kidney Cancer?
Many clinical trials and research studies have found that Opdivo can be effective at treating kidney cancer. The results of these studies show that Opdivo can improve a patient’s outcomes in terms of survival, quality of life while having cancer, and tumor shrinkage.
What Are the Survival and Response Rates?
Opdivo has been shown to be effective in helping patients with renal cell carcinoma survive at least two years after being given the Opdivo and Yervoy combination treatment. In clinical trials, patients who took Opdivo and Yervoy had better outcomes compared to those who took Sutent. For example, 9 percent of those in the Opdivo and Yervoy track of one study had their tumors disappear entirely, and 32 percent of the patients’ tumors had shrunk in size within two years.
Additionally, the CheckMate 025 clinical trials of Opdivo also suggested that patients who took this medication had higher overall survival rates compared to those given another kidney cancer drug, everolimus (Afinitor). Patients who took Opdivo in the CheckMate 025 clinical trials were also more likely to survive without their tumors growing or their cancer progressing during the 5-year or more follow-up of the clinical trial.
How It Compares to Targeted Therapy
Opdivo may be preferred over invasive targeted therapies because of how it works with the patient’s body. Aggressive targeted drugs, like tyrosine kinase inhibitors or chemotherapy, launch a direct attack on tumor cells. In contrast, Opdivo is an immunotherapy drug, so it activates the patient’s immune response, equipping the body with the tools to ward off the cancer on its own. Studies have shown that Opdivo may provide patients with long-lasting responses, survival rates, and benefits compared to those who used Sutent.
Opdivo Side Effects in Kidney Cancer Patients
Opdivo can cause many different side effects that range from mild to severe. Mild side effects of Opdivo include the following:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Rash or itchy skin
- Fever
- Headache
- An infection (like an upper respiratory infection)
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Pain in your stomach, muscles, or joints
- Difficulty breathing
Some of these reactions may occur right after you start taking Opdivo, after you have been taking it for a while, or even after you stop taking the medication. Serious and potentially life-threatening complications from taking Opdivo include:
- Organ problems
- Jaundice (your skin and whites of your eyes turn yellow)
- Lung issues
- Kidney and liver problems
- Bone marrow or organ transplant rejection
- Dark urine
- Severe nausea and vomiting
- Fainting
- Ulcers in your mouth, nose, or throat, or on your groin
Opdivo has also been shown to increase someone’s risk of inflammation (infection) of their liver, lungs, intestines, adrenal gland, or thyroid gland. Patients who are taking Opdivo are encouraged to track their symptoms and any changes they experience in their bodies after they begin or stop this treatment. They should also tell their doctor about these, so their care team can monitor and address them.
Who Can Take Opdivo for Kidney Cancer?
Opdivo is an approved treatment for people who have renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer). Opdivo may be given to people who have recently received a diagnosis and whose cancer is intermediate or advanced. This drug may also be prescribed to those who have tried other therapies or had surgery, but whose bodies did not respond well to those treatments. Sometimes, doctors will recommend Opdivo as a standalone treatment. Other times, the medical provider asks patients to take Opdivo while they are also taking another medication, such as Yervoy.
When deciding whether to prescribe Opdivo, the patient’s care team will consider the patient’s overall health history. This includes their age, how they have responded to other cancer therapies, and their physical condition. Doctors will review these and other pieces of information and use them to decide if Opdivo is appropriate for their patient.
Opdivo Costs and Insurance Coverage
Opdivo can be costly, sometimes carrying a price tag of over $1,300 for a single dose; however, there are many different payment options available. Someone’s private insurance plan, Medicare, or Medicaid may pay for the treatment, if the person is following the FDA’s recommended treatment guidelines. Additionally, Bristol-Myers Squibb offers payment assistance programs, including reimbursements, rebates, and co-payment support.
If you are worried about being able to afford Opdivo, you can talk to your prescriber about your payment options. You can also reach out to your insurance company to see if Opdivo is covered and, if so, what authorizations or other steps you need to take for it to be approved.
King Law Is Investigating Cases from Kidney Cancer Patients Taking Opdivo
If you have been diagnosed with kidney cancer, you may wonder what caused your illness. One of the causes of kidney cancer is exposure to human-made chemicals called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These chemicals are present in many Americans’ drinking water.
Kidney cancer has been linked to PFAS exposure, and about 45% of Americans consume tap water with PFAS in it. PFAS are forever chemicals that have been used in firefighting foam, nonstick cookware, waterproof activewear, and other products and industries.
For example, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) was commonly used at military bases and airports for many decades, before being banned because of its negative health effects. These foams contaminated the drinking water of thousands of service members and their families. Many servicemen and women have developed kidney cancer due to PFAS exposure.
Civilians have also been exposed to PFAS in their drinking water because of contamination from nearby military bases, airports, or manufacturing plants like W.L. Gore.
King Law is actively accepting cases where military personnel or civilians have developed kidney cancer due to PFAS exposure. We have been in the fight against PFAS and PFOA exposure for many years, and we can take on the big players, like 3M, to secure justice for our clients. If you were on a military base or in an area contaminated with PFAS, consider contacting us for a case evaluation. We can assess your possible legal claim and determine if you may qualify for compensation.
Contact King Law’s Legal Team Today
King Law fiercely defends those who developed kidney cancer because of PFAS exposure in their drinking water or in their line of work. Kidney cancer can completely uproot your life, and treatments like Opdivo, while potentially life-saving, are costly.
Our team helps people stand up against the misdeeds that may have caused their cancer. Reach out to our firm today by calling (585) 496-2648 to schedule an initial consultation and get your free case evaluation.