Activity of pembrolizumab in relapsed/refractory NK/T-cell lymphoma

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is associated with a poor outcome. Currently, the treatment needs of NKTCL remain unmet, and efforts to further improve treatment are urgently needed. Herein, seven patients with NKTCL who failed to respond to various types of chemotherapies were treated with the anti-programmed death 1 (anti-PD-1) antibody pembrolizumab at 100 mg every 3 weeks. After a median of four cycles of treatment (range 2-18), four out of seven patients responded (two complete response, two partial response, overall response rate 57%). Expression of PD1-ligand available was 50, 20, 30, 70, and 30% of five patients respectively. It is negative in one patient and not tested in one patient. Adverse events, which mostly ranged from grade I to grade III, were tolerable and could be safely handled, although immune-related pneumonitis was notable. Overall, PD-1 blockade with pembrolizumab represents a favorable strategy for the treatment of refractory/relapsed NKTCL.