Case Report: Pathologic Complete Response to Pembrolizumab in Combination With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in a Patient With Stage IIB Squamous Lung Cancer

Abstract

The emergence of PD-1 antibodies has radically changed the therapeutic profiles of lung cancer, which has the highest incidence and mortality rate among all cancers worldwide. Pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, has been proven to have strong anti-tumor activity in a variety of clinical studies. Here, we described a patient with stage IIB squamous lung cancer who has benefited from a preoperative pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy regimen. The addition of pembrolizumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery led to a pathologic complete response and the avoidance of left pneumonectomy. This case highlights the effect of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy on non-small cell lung cancer patients and has provided a promising choice in future clinical practice.