Pembrolizumab-Induced Vitiligo in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patient With Durable Complete Response

Matthew C Wilkins1, Mohamed Elgamal2, Igor I Rybkin1

  • 1Hematology and Oncology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, USA.

Cureus
|December 23, 2021
PubMed

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a valuable therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment. Pembrolizumab is an inhibitor of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligands 1 (PD-L1) and 2 (PD-L2). Disrupting the interaction between PD-L1 expressed on the cancer cell and PD-1 transmembrane protein on immune cells results in reactivation of T cell-mediated cellular immunity. This immune modulation has increased the risk of autoimmune adverse events, which can affect any organ system. Here, we present a case of delayed immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced vitiligo in a 74-year-old female with recurrent metastatic esophageal carcinoma who remains in remission more than five years after initiation of pembrolizumab.

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