Frontiers in Oncology (Jul 2023)

Case Report: Combined pembrolizumab, 5-fluorouracil, and cisplatin therapy were remarkably effective in p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary

  • Risako Suzuki,
  • Kazuyuki Hamada,
  • Kazuyuki Hamada,
  • Ryotaro Ohkuma,
  • Mayumi Homma,
  • Toshiaki Tsurui,
  • Nana Iriguchi,
  • Tomoyuki Ishiguro,
  • Yuya Hirasawa,
  • Hirotsugu Ariizumi,
  • Yutaro Kubota,
  • Atsushi Horiike,
  • Kiyoshi Yoshimura,
  • Kiyoshi Yoshimura,
  • Satoshi Wada,
  • Satoshi Wada,
  • Toshiko Yamochi,
  • Takuya Tsunoda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2023.1231986
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundCancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a malignant tumor without a known primary lesion with a frequency of 3−5%. It can be divided into favorable and unfavorable prognosis subsets. While recommended treatments are available for the former group, there is no established treatment for the latter. Here, we report the effective treatment of a 32-year-old woman with p16-positive squamous cell CUP with pembrolizumab plus 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin therapy.Case presentationA 32-year-old woman presented with metastatic lesions in the liver, lung, bone, cervical region, abdominal region, and pelvic lymph nodes. She was diagnosed with p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin. The patient received pembrolizumab plus 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin therapy, which markedly reduced the metastasis and improved her Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status after two courses.ConclusionThis case report highlights the potential of pembrolizumab plus 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin therapy for treating CUP with an unfavorable prognosis. p16 positivity is worth examining for squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin, and if present, this therapy should be considered a promising treatment option.

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