Regression of melanoma metastases and multiple non-melanoma skin cancers in xeroderma pigmentosum by the PD1-antibody pembrolizumab

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder caused by defects in the nucleotide excision repair, a DNA repair system which is responsible for removing DNA damage induced by ultraviolet radiation (UV) [1]. Consequently XP patients suffer from multiple skin tumours mostly non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), but also though less frequently malignant melanomas (MMs). Surgical removal of these multiple tumours which occur already in early childhood and rapidly advance with time is the only therapeutic option; an effective and tolerable systemic approach to treat these multiple tumours was not available so far.
Source: European Journal of Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research