Genomic profiling and molecular characterization of non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a narrative review from a clinical perspective.

Abstract

While the clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) treatment has undergone several paradigm shifts in recent years, the non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) therapeutic approach has yet to be extensively investigated and improved. The WHO 2022 classification of renal neoplasms redefined the most common nccRCC subtypes (papillary and chromophobe RCC) and introduced the molecularly defined RCC class, which is a first step in the direction of better molecular profiling of nccRCC. We reviewed the literature data on known genomic alterations of clinical interest in nccRCC and discussed their potential role in guiding therapeutic choices in each nccRCC entity. Among the alterations discussed, we focused on the ones that could be treated with already available drugs, such as MET-driven papillary RCC, mechanistic target of rapamycin altered chromophobe RCC, anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged RCC, and fumarate-hydratase deficient RCC. Furthermore, we focused on the currently ongoing clinical trials and further evidence for all the other entities, such as SMARCB1-deficient RCC, TFE3 and transcription factorEB (TFEB)-altered RCC, and Elongin C (ELOC)-mutated RCC. The vast heterogeneity of nccRCC does not allow a one-size-fits-all solution; therefore, molecular characterization is the path toward effective therapies and fully personalized medicine for these entities.