Keytruda for thymic cancer – pro
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) induced responses in more than one-fifth of patients with recurrent thymic carcinoma who had progressed following 1 or more lines of chemotherapy, according to findings from a phase II trial published in The Lancet Oncology.
Results from the single-arm, single-site study showed that at a median follow-up of 20 months, the response rate was 22.5% (95% CI, 10.8-38.5). One (3%) patient achieved a complete response, 8 (20%) had partial responses, and 21 (53%) had stable disease.
The disease control rate was 75% (95% CI, 59-87) and the median time to response was 6 weeks (range, 6-24; IQR, 6-12). There were no cases of pseudoprogression.
Giaccone G, Kim C, Thompson J, et al. Pembrolizumab in patients with thymic carcinoma: a single-arm, single-centre, phase 2 study [published online January 26, 2018]. Lancet Oncol. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30062-7.