Pembrolizumab-induced hypothyroidism caused reversible increased serum creatinine levels: a case report

Pembrolizumab-Induced Rhabdomyolysis in a Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Patient: A Case Report

Pembrolizumab is one of the approved treatments for many types of cancer including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). It has improved the prognosis of renal cell carcinoma, yet has many possible immune-related side effects. We discuss a rare case of rhabdomyolysis in an ccRCC patient treated with pembrolizumab. The case was complicated with acute kidney injury and severe hypothyroidism, which can be attributed to pembrolizumab.

Non-small cell lung cancer: Emerging molecular targeted and immunotherapeutic agents

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents the most common and fatal type of primary lung malignancies. NSCLC is often diagnosed at later stages and requires systemic therapies. Despite recent advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted molecular therapies the outcomes of NSCLC remain disproportionately poor. Immunotherapy is a rapidly developing area in NSCLC management and presents opportunities for potential improvements in clinical outcomes. Indeed, different immunotherapeutics have been approved for clinical use in various settings for NSCLC. Their promise is especially poignant in light of improved survival and quality of life outcomes. Herein, we comprehensively review emerging NSCLC therapeutics. We discuss the limitations of such strategies and summarize the present status of various immunotherapeutic agents in key patient populations. We also examine the data from ongoing studies in immunotherapy and consider future areas of study, including novel inhibition targets, therapeutic vaccination, tumor genome modification, and improvements to drug delivery systems.

First line Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is incorporated increasingly in first line treatments protocols. Multiple phase 3 studies have tested different medications targeting programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), with or without chemotherapy. The inclusion criteria differ between the various clinical trials, including the cut-off levels of PD-L1 expression on tumor cells, and the tumor histology (squamous or non-squamous). Patients with tumor expression levels of PD-L1 ≥ 50% are candidates for treatment with single agent Pembrolizumab or Atezolizumab. Patients with PD-L1 < 50% are candidates for immunotherapy with pembrolizumab as a single agent if PL-1 > 1%; immunotherapy doublet, Nivolumab and Ipilimumab, or single agent immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Here we review phase 3 clinical trials utilizing immunotherapy in the first line for treatment of NSCLC, including Pembrolizumab in KEYNOTE-024, KEYNOTE-042, KEYNOTE-189 and KEYNOTE-407; Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in CHECKMATE-227 and CHECKMATE 9LA; and Atezolizumab in IMpower110, IMpower130 and IMpower150.