Stopping Axitinib after complett remission?

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Hello,
I was diagnosed with kidney cancer that had metastasized to my lymph nodes in early 2025. Since then, I’ve been undergoing treatment with Pembrolizumab (immunotherapy) and Axitinib. The treatment has been effective—all the metastases have disappeared—and during my last staging, my doctor mentioned complete remission for the first time. Which was indeed very good news!!
Has anyone had a similar experience? The oncologist wants to continue the treatment as usual. I’m wondering if it might be worth at least temporarily stopping axitinib. Is that a possibility? Or will I have to take this medication for the rest of my life? I’m only 57 years old. 

  • In my opinion, you are definitely on the right lines!  I stopped my immunotherapy treatment after two and a half years.  The driver was to stop before I got a side effect from hell, like diabetes, for example.  

    After 2 years, there's a school of thought that you've had all the benefit from it anyway.  They keep on working even after you stop treatment.  

    But saying that, there's plenty of people who continue beyond 2 years.  Also some other cancer types they will only give it for two years.  

    If you go into my profile there's a link to my blog where I describe my rationale.  It was with the full support if my oncologists.  They never mentioned stopping.  In fact the opposite was true.  They said I could have it for as long as I wanted.  I think they knew I would get to a point where I decided "enough".  Plus if the patient decides, it's better all round.  

  • Thank you very much for your reply. At the moment, I consider immunotherapy to be less problematic than axitinib. But in the long term, immunotherapy can of course also cause side effects. With axitinib, I’m now on 2 x 3 mg a day and have virtually no side effects. Nevertheless, it does put a strain on the body. But the risk of a recidive is always there.