Successful treatment by pembrolizumab in a patient with end-stage renal disease with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and high PD-L1 expression

Abstract We report a 66-year-old Japanese male with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who was on hemodialysis. The patient harbored high programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and was successfully treated with pembrolizumab. Laboratory examination upon diagnosis showed elevated serum creatinine (6.58 mg/dL). We administered pembrolizumab (200 mg/body) and repeated every 3 weeks. His renal dysfunction gradually progressed, hemodialysis was initiated after eight courses of pembrolizumab, and the antitumor effect was maintained at five months after hemodialysis initiation. Therefore, pembrolizumab can be administered for patients with ESRD and advanced NSCLC, who harbor high PD-L1 expression, during preparation for hemodialysis.