Disseminated intravascular coagulation in advanced lung adenocarcinoma during first-line pembrolizumab

Aim: Every year 1.6 million people worldwide die from lung cancer, making it one of the most frequent and deadly tumors. Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against PD-1 that has antitumor activity in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, with increased activity in tumors that express programmed death ligand 1. Methods & results: We report the first case of pembrolizumab-related disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). After excluding other causes of DIC, a diagnosis of pembrolizumab-related DIC was performed and the patient was treated with corticosteroid therapy until signs resolution. Conclusion: Disorders of coagulation-fibrinolysis system related to immunotherapy are rare, but often clinically serious and life threatening, so it is necessary to pay close attention to the various symptoms and signs during immunotherapy.