Pathologic complete response with pembrolizumab plus axitinib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Immunotherapy-based combinations have played a central role in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, and long-term survival of patients is expected. In this context, it is clear that a certain number of patients can achieve a complete response. However, the diagnosis of complete response is usually based on imaging, and there are few cases of pathological complete response. In this study, we report a case of a patient with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who was treated with pembrolizumab plus axitinib, followed by resection of the primary tumor and metastatic lesions, and pathologically achieved a complete response.