Prompt response of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma to cemiplimab in a kidney transplant patient under everolimus treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Gambichler ◽  
S. Hessam ◽  
T. Lüttringhaus ◽  
S. Boms
Keyword(s):  
Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Kidney Transplant ◽  
Squamous Cell ◽  
Transplant Patient ◽  
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Kidney Transplant Patient ◽  
Prompt Response

scholarly journals Safe Administration of Cemiplimab to a Kidney Transplant Patient with Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Scalp

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 574-580
Author(s):  
Luca Paoluzzi ◽  
Thomas J Ow
Keyword(s):  
Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Kidney Transplant ◽  
Squamous Cell ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
Kidney Transplant Patient ◽  
Cell Transplant ◽  
Renal Transplant Recipients ◽  
Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem

Immunotherapies directed at T-cell activation through antibodies targeting checkpoint proteins, such as programmed cell death 1 (PD1), are rapidly becoming the new standard of care in the treatment of several malignancies. Cemiplimab is a monoclonal antibody targeting PD1 that has recently emerged as a highly active treatment for locally advanced and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Patients who have received an organ transplant (OTRs) have been traditionally excluded from clinical trials with checkpoint inhibitors (CIs), given concerns for organ rejection. Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are more likely to develop cancers than the general population, and skin cancers are among the most frequent malignancies. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with a history of a kidney transplant who presented with a rapidly growing, locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the scalp that recurred within four weeks from surgical resection. The patient was able to safely receive ten cycles of cemiplimab so far with significant clinical benefit, and no issues with his kidney function, while continuing immunosuppression with low dose prednisone alone. An ongoing clinical trial (NCT04339062) is further exploring the safety of CIs in patients with metastatic CSCC who have previously received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant or a kidney transplant.

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