Frontiers in Immunology (Dec 2022)

Case report: Brain metastasis necrosis with immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

  • Lishui Niu,
  • Xiang Li,
  • Li Meng,
  • Yingying Zhang,
  • Xin Wan,
  • Di Jing,
  • Qin Zhou,
  • Rongrong Zhou,
  • Rongrong Zhou,
  • Rongrong Zhou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1064596
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has reshaped the landscape of advanced lung cancer treatment. The brain is the most common metastatic site for lung cancer. Whether conventional criteria can evaluate the intracranial response of ICIs remains unclear. Here, we report a well-documented case of intracranial necrosis confirmed by post-operative pathology after only one cycle of chemo-immunotherapy without any radiation therapy, which suggests that immunotherapy elicits strong anti-tumor responses for intracranial metastasis and promotes intracranial necrosis, resulting in a temporary increase in size of the target lesions. Still, the specific mechanisms and management strategies need to be further explored.

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