Durable Response in Patients With Thymic Carcinoma Treated With Pembrolizumab After Prolonged Follow-Up

Here, we present an update of a phase 2 study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced thymic carcinoma who failed previous therapies. Duration of response was approximately 3 years, and median survival was in excess of 2 years with a 5-year survival rate of 18%. The higher than expected incidence of severe autoimmune disorders (15%) did not substantially increase with a longer follow-up. Pembrolizumab induces durable responses in patients with thymic carcinoma. Careful selection of patients and monitoring of toxicities are warranted. (C) 2020 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.