Remarkable response to PD-1 inhibitor in a patient with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: a case report and literature review

Front Immunol. 2023 Sep 14:14:1267606. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1267606. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

We report a case of a 59-year-old male diagnosed with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). He received first-line platinum doublet chemotherapy and second-line topotecan-based regimen, but experienced disease progression after each line of therapy. He was then treated with Sintilimab, a PD-1 inhibitor, in combination with nab-paclitaxel in the third-line setting, which resulted in significant tumor shrinkage. Restaging scans showed a partial response per RECIST criteria with 62% reduction in tumor burden. This case highlights the application and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in extensive-stage SCLC.

Keywords: CEA; NLR; PD-1; immune checkpoint inhibitors; small cell lung cancer.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Lung Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* / drug therapy
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* / pathology

Substances

  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Grants and funding

The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.