PD1 blockade with pembrolizumab is highly effective in relapsed or refractory NK/T-cell lymphoma failing l-asparaginase

YL Kwong, TSY Chan, D Tan, SJ Kim… - Blood, The Journal …, 2017 - ashpublications.org
YL Kwong, TSY Chan, D Tan, SJ Kim, LM Poon, B Mow, PL Khong, F Loong, R Au-Yeung…
Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 2017ashpublications.org
Abstract Natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas failing L-asparaginse regimens have no
known salvage and are almost invariably fatal. Seven male patients with NK/T-cell
lymphoma (median age, 49 years; range, 31-68 years) for whom a median of 2 (range, 1-5)
regimens (including l-asparaginase regimens and allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell
transplantation [HSCT] in 2 cases) failed were treated with the anti–programmed death 1
(PD1) antibody pembrolizumab. All patients responded, according to various clinical …
Abstract
Natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas failing L-asparaginse regimens have no known salvage and are almost invariably fatal. Seven male patients with NK/T-cell lymphoma (median age, 49 years; range, 31-68 years) for whom a median of 2 (range, 1-5) regimens (including l-asparaginase regimens and allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation [HSCT] in 2 cases) failed were treated with the anti–programmed death 1 (PD1) antibody pembrolizumab. All patients responded, according to various clinical, radiologic (positron emission tomography), morphologic, and molecular (circulating Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] DNA) criteria. Two patients achieved complete response (CR) in all parameters. Three patients achieved clinical and radiologic CRs, with two having molecular remission (undetectable EBV DNA) but minimal EBV-encoded RNA-positive cells in lesions comprising predominantly CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T cells (which ultimately disappeared, suggesting they represented pseudoprogression) and one having detectable EBV DNA despite morphologic CR. Two patients achieved partial response (PR). After a median of 7 (range, 2-13) cycles of pembrolizumab and a follow-up of a median of 6 (range, 2-10) months, all five CR patients were still in remission. The only adverse event was grade 2 skin graft-versus-host disease in one patient with previous allogeneic HSCT. Expression of the PD1 ligand was strong in 4 patients (3 achieving CR) and weak in 1 (achieving PR). PD1 blockade with pembrolizumab was a potent strategy for NK/T-cell lymphomas failing l-asparaginase regimens.
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