2023 Volume 49 Issue 3 Pages 278-282
A 76-year-old male was treated with pembrolizumab for postoperative neck and pulmonary metastases from laryngeal cancer. Two days after the first administration, CTCAE Grade 2 arthritis was observed. It was diagnosed as an immune-related adverse event （irAE）. Prednisolone （20mg/kg/day） was started, and his symptoms and abnormal blood test findings rapidly improved. He could continue pembrolizumab therapy with no recurrence of irAE with tapering prednisolone, and his metastatic lesions remain in partial response. Although the frequency of reported irAEs with arthritis is not high, Grade 2 or higher arthritis decreases the patient’s activities of daily living, and immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICI） may have to be interrupted or discontinued. There are reports that the development of irAEs is associated with a better prognosis for ICI therapy. Therefore, we believe that continuing pembrolizumab therapy while controlling irAE could contribute to patients’ long-term survival.
