Immunotherapy for recurrent or metastatic vulvar carcinoma: A case report and review of current guidelines

Abstract

There are limited treatment options for patients with advanced vulvar cancer. However, several immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are FDA-approved or NCCN-Compendia–listed for qualified patients with advanced disease. In this case report, we present a patient with metastatic vulvar squamous cell carcinoma who was treated with pembrolizumab in the setting of disease progression following prior treatment with radiation and chemotherapy. Best response to immunotherapy was an unconfirmed partial response. We summarize the current role of ICIs in treating advanced vulvar cancer, which is largely extrapolated from the squamous cell skin cancer and cervical cancer guidelines. Additionally, we emphasize the need for more inclusive clinical trials and a better understanding of vulvar cancer molecular biology, as well as the identification of biomarkers to predict response to targeted therapy in patients with advanced vulvar cancer.

Keywords

• Vulvar cancer
• Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma
• Recurrent disease
• Metastatic disease
• Immunotherapy