Use of Preoperative Immunotherapy in Locally Advanced Unresectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer. Surgery is the standard of care with curative intent of localized disease; however, for large head and neck cSCCs, it is associated with high morbidity. Cemiplimab, an antibody anti programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) protein, is effective in locally advanced unresectable or metastatic cSCC. A pilot study demonstrated a high rate of pathologic complete response using cemiplimab in the neoadjuvant setting.

Here, we report the case of an 84-year-old man with two locally advanced unresectable cSCCs (a nasolabial lesion and a retroauricular lesion) treated with cemiplimab, for whom closer follow-up revealed a complete response of the retroauricular lesion and a partial response of the nasolabial lesion after 4 cycles. Patient will be submitted to nasolabial lesion resection.

This illustrates the efficacy of the use of cemiplimab as preoperative therapy in advanced unresectable cSCC, facilitating a definitive surgical treatment.