Use of Pembrolizumab in End-Stage Renal Disease: A Case Report with Complete Response

We present a clinical case describing the use of pembrolizumab in a patient under hemodialysis (HD) that achieved a complete response. A 72-year-old man was diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma in 2001. Following transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, bacillus Calmette-Gu érin, and mitomycin treatment, he underwent surgery in 2018. The patient required HD since surgery. A few months after surgery, there was disease progression with lung metastasis. A first-line treatment with carboplatin and gemcitabine was started, but after 5 cycles, disease progression was confir med. It was decided to initiate second-line treatment with pembrolizumab. After 13 months of immunotherapy, a CT scan showed a complete response with total involution of lung metastasis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are an option to second-line treatment in urothelial carcinoma. Further studies are needed to clarify the efficacy and tolerance of this therapy in ESRD patients.Case Rep Oncol 2022;15:187 –190
Source: Case Reports in Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research