Complete response to pembrolizumab as a single agent in a patient with stage III NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression: a case report

Submitted: September 27, 2022
Accepted: November 14, 2022
Published: November 25, 2022
Abstract Views: 1184
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Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 75-80% of all lung cancer cases. Stage III NSCLC represents a highly heterogenous stage characterized by different disease presentations and a wide range of treatment options. For patients with good performance status and unresectable-stage III NSCLC with programmed death-ligands 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥1%, durvalumab consolidation immunotherapy after a platinum-based chemo-radiotherapy is strongly recommended. However, age, poor performance status, underlying comorbidities may represent contraindications for chemotherapy to be used in a subgroup of patients. Herein, we report a case of an 80-year-old male affected by a stage IIIB lung adenocarcinoma with overexpression of PD-L1 (TPS 90%) treated with pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting PD-1/PD-L1 pathways, which shows a complete resolution of lung lesion after four cycles of treatment. Although randomized controlled trials are required, this case report may suggest the potential role of pembrolizumab for chemotherapy unsuitable patients with overexpressing PD-L1 unresectable-stage III NSCLC.

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How to Cite

Medusa , Paola Maria, Marina Gilli, Luca Notizia, Raffaella Pagliaro, Nicola Carro, Alessandro Moriello, Vito D’Agnano, Andrea Bianco, Fabio Perrotta, and Fabiana Vitiello. 2022. “Complete Response to Pembrolizumab As a Single Agent in a Patient With Stage III NSCLC With High PD-L1 Expression: A Case Report”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 93 (4). https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2022.2440.

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