Combination of radiation therapy for brain metastasis and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment in non-small cell lung cancer: two cases and review of the literature

Anticancer Drugs. 2021 Apr 1;32(4):460-464. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0000000000000996.

Abstract

Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer-related death worldwide and is usually diagnosed in advanced stages. Among those, approximately 7.4% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients will have brain metastasis (BM) at presentation, and 25-30% will develop BM during the course of their disease. To date, patients with BMs are increasingly considered for combined treatment using systemic immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) and cranial radiation therapy (RT); yet, there is limited data regarding the safety of this approach. Here, we report two cases of NSCLC patients treated with two different types of cranial RT and ICIs.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / administration & dosage
  • B7-H1 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Brain Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Brain Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / radiotherapy*
  • Chemoradiotherapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Radiosurgery

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD274 protein, human
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
  • PDCD1 protein, human
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • pembrolizumab