Pembrolizumab-associated autoimmune encephalitis in an elderly patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. A clinical case

Abstract

Therapeutic objectives for the geriatric patient are improvement of quality of life and functional capacity rather than a mere increase in survival. In neoplastic disease, the decision to initiate administration of cu-rative therapies, especially immunotherapy, should be taken only after any potential risks have been taken into account. Geriatric patients are more susceptible to developing more serious adverse reactions than the younger population. We report the case of an octogenarian patient with non-small cell lung cancer who developed neurologic toxicity following pembrolizumab therapy. We carry out a differential diagnosis of encephalitis and provide a literature review of pembrolizumab-associated autoimmune encephalitis cases in order to improve our knowledge of this unusual toxicity. An interdisciplinary approach and comprehensive geriatric assessment are essential components to prevent functional decline in the elderly.