Pembrolizumab in recurrent advanced cervical squamous carcinoma

No definitive cure is known for recurrent, persistent or metastatic cervical carcinoma. Chemotherapy remains the standard of care, although available options are scarce and do not provide satisfactory results. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown a strong and prolonged response in several types of cancer, although only in a subset of patients. Defining the profile of the patients likely to benefit from such treatment is a subject of active research. Here, we present a case of a heavily pretreated patient with recurrent advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix who had exhausted all available treatment options and showed a striking response to the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab.