AIM: To describe drugs used in renal cell carcinoma.
METHOD: Pubmed search for efficacy, mode of action and side effects for each 
molecule. Additional data were searched from the French regulatory agencies 
websites (HAS and ANSM).
RESULTS: Since 2007, a total of three different therapeutic classes in the 
management of metastatic renal cell carcinoma are available. These three classes 
are tyrosine kinase inhibitors with sunitinib and sorafenib, the anti-VEGF 
antibodies (bevacizumab which is associated with alpha interferon in the 
treatment of advanced kidney cancer) and mTOR inhibitors with temsirolimus and 
everolimus. These targeted therapies are a major progress in the treatment of 
patients with metastatic kidney cancer. The side effects encountered with these 
molecules are numerous but serious side effects are less than 5% of all reported 
side effects.
CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of molecular mechanisms has enabled the 
development of new therapies for the treatment of metastatic renal cell 
carcinoma. In the future, a personalized approach taking into account the 
biology of each tumor could be created to provide a more targeted treatment.