Recent updates in the therapeutic uses of Pembrolizumab: a brief narrative review

Abstract

Introduction: Treatment of cancer has been improved with the discovery of biological drugs that act as immune checkpoint inhibitors. In 2017, FDA designated pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor employed in immunotherapy, as the first tissue-agnostic cancer treatment.

Objectives: To review pembrolizumab's use in oncology, gather and examine the latest discoveries regarding the effectiveness of pembrolizumab in cancer treatment.

Methodology: A literature review was conducted through PubMed(Medline) from January 2015 to December 2023 using "pembrolizumab", "cancer" and "treatment" as search terms.

Results: Pembrolizumab demonstrated effectiveness as primary treatment for metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer, unresectable esophageal cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and alternative treatment for notable triple-negative breast cancer, biliary, colorectal, endometrial, renal cell, cervical carcinoma, and high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair deficiencies tumors. Pediatric applications include treatment for refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Conclusion: Evolving research on pembrolizumab allows a deeper clinical understanding, despite challenges as variable patient responses. Pembrolizumab has emerged as a pivotal breakthrough in cancer treatment, improving patient outcomes and safety.

Keywords: Cancer; Immunotherapy; Pembrolizumab; Treatment.