Atypical pattern of response in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab treatment: a case report, literature review, and proposed management model.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Immunotherapy is the first-line treatment in patients with advanced microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC). Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) are not yet a standard, the results are very encouraging and raise the question of whether patients with clinical complete response (cCR) could receive nonoperative management (NOM). However, different patterns of response have challenged management strategies.

Case description

A 34-year-old woman diagnosed with dMMR LARC started treatment with capecitabine 2,000 mg/m² on day 1 to 14 and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² on day 1 and every 21 days. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), performed three cycle

SUBMITTER: Tissera NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10331748 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature