Misleading impaired liver function in a non-small-cell lung cancer patient treated with pembrolizumab: a case report

Anticancer Drugs. 2019 Aug;30(7):e0764. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0000000000000764.

Abstract

In the last few years, immunotherapy has become part of everyday clinical practice for the treatment of many solid tumors including metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. These drugs, however, can yield a specific toxicity profile that consists of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Hepatotoxicity is one of irAEs and occurs in about 1-3% of cases and may be manifested by the presence of increate levels of liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase) and/or biliary stasis evidence; in these cases, a differential diagnosis with other hepatic diseases must be considered. We present the case of a 73-year-old man who presented with an alteration in liver function during treatment with pembrolizumab (anti-programmed death 1 monoclonal antibody) for a stage IV nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer, which was initially mistaken for drug-induced irAEs hepatic toxicity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / adverse effects*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / adverse effects*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / diagnosis*
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / etiology
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / pathology
  • Humans
  • Liver Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Liver Diseases / etiology
  • Liver Diseases / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Prognosis

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
  • pembrolizumab