Yeungnam Univ J Med.  2021 Oct;38(4):366-370. 10.12701/yujm.2021.00899.

Pembrolizumab-related autoimmune hemolytic anemia in a patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: a case report

• Baek DW
• Chae YS

• KMID: 2521718
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2021.00899

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become the main drugs for programmed cell death receptor-1 or ligand-1 expressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) combined with conventional chemotherapy. ICIs are generally more tolerable than cytotoxic chemotherapies in terms of toxicity, and ICI-related adverse events are mild and manageable. However, these drugs may lead to unexpected severe adverse events such as immune-related hematologic toxicities, which could be life-threatening. Here, a rare case of a pembrolizumab-related adverse event in a patient with NSCLC who showed early-onset hemolytic anemia and recovered by high-dose steroid and a series of plasma exchanges is reported.

Keyword

Anemia; Autoimmune; Hemolytic; Immune checkpoint inhibitors

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Time course of hemoglobin, bilirubin, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), reticulocyte, and treatment.

Reference

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