Killing two birds with one stone: response to pembrolizumab in a patient with metastatic melanoma and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

Pembrolizumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody against PD-1, has demonstrated antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile in patients with different solid tumors and hematologic malignancies in multiple clinical trials (1-4). Although these data highlight the effectiveness of PD-1 pathway inhibition, some patients, even those with highly immunogenic tumors, such as melanoma, do not achieve objective response (1).

An increased association of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and melanoma, possibly related to an underlying immunologic defect, has been previously reported (5). We still have limited data on the management of advanced stages of cancer duplicities.

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