PD-1 Blockade with Pembrolizumab in Advanced Merkel‑Cell Carcinoma
Pembrolizumab yields an objective response rate of 56% in patients with advanced Merkel‑Cell Carcinoma when used as first‑line therapy.
Merkel‑cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive skin cancer with limited effective systemic options. This phase‑II, single‑arm, multicenter study evaluated pembrolizumab, an anti‑PD‑1 monoclonal antibody, as first‑line treatment in 26 adults with advanced disease. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST 1.1. Among 25 evaluable patients, 56% achieved an objective response (4 complete, 10 partial). Responses were observed irrespective of Merkel‑cell polyomavirus status. Median progression‑free survival at 6 months was 67%. Treatment was generally well tolerated, with grade 3/4 adverse events in 15% of patients. These results support pembrolizumab as a promising therapeutic option for this rare malignancy.
This study establishes that PD‑1 blockade with pembrolizumab produces clinically meaningful tumor regression in a cancer that historically has a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic alternatives, offering a new targeted treatment approach for patients with advanced Merkel‑cell carcinoma.
Evidence level: Korai humán adat. Kis vagy feltáró emberi adat.
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