Good Response of Advanced Thymic Carcinoma with Low PD-L1 Expression to Chemotherapy plus Pembrolizumab as First-Line Therapy and to Pembrolizumab as Maintenance Therapy: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT: Thymic carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. No standard treatment is currently available. The present case was a 64-year-old male smoker with no symptoms referred to our hospital because of abnormal chest radiological findings. The CT study showed a tumor between the anterior mediastinum and the right lung upper lobe, multiple nodular shadows along the right pleura, and pleural effusion. A CT-guided needle biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. However, the differential diagnosis between thymic carcinoma and primary lung cancer was difficult. Treatment with carboplatin, nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel, and pembrolizumab was initiated. The CT scan showed tumor shrinkage and good clinical response after four treatment cycles. Therapy was switched to maintenance

SUBMITTER: Nishii Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9319623 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature