Kok H. Chan, MD, a hematology and oncology physician at Vandalia Health CAMC Cancer Center, has enrolled the first patient in the United States in the STRIKE Trial, a phase III study evaluating a new treatment approach for patients with renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer.
The STRIKE Trial, launched in March 2025, investigates whether adding the targeted therapy tivozanib to the standard immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) treatment after the surgical removal of all known sites of kidney cancer can help prevent recurrence and extend survival in patients. The trial will compare this new approach to the current standard of care — pembrolizumab alone.
The STRIKE Trial will enroll more than 1,000 patients in the U.S. diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer. Kidney cancer ranks among the top 10 most common cancers in both men and women in the U.S.
The study is conducted by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health.
CAMC Cancer Center’s participation in the study is supported by the CAMC Institute for Academic Medicine Clinical Trials Center and Cancer Research Center. For over 25 years, these centers have been dedicated to advancing medical research, education and treatment. To learn more, visit camcmedicine.edu/Research.