title: Pembrolizumab for the treatment of thoracic malignancies: current landscape and future directions.
abstract: New insights into the interaction between the immune system and the tumor microenvironment have led to the development of checkpoint inhibitors that target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Pembrolizumab (MK-3475, lambrolizumab, Keytruda(®)) is a PD-1 inhibitor that has shown clinical activity in a variety of solid tumors and is currently approved for the second-line treatment of PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer and for unresectable/metastatic melanoma. This article will discuss the results of early-phase trials of pembrolizumab in thoracic malignancies as well as ongoing studies aimed to confirm clinical benefit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center/University Health Network, 5-105 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada.
authors.forename: Safiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center/University Health Network, 5-105 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leighl
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; C582435:pembrolizumab
keywords: MK-3475; PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors; immune checkpoint inhibitors; immunotherapy; lambrolizumab; malignant pleural mesothelioma; non-small-cell lung cancer; pembrolizumab; small-cell lung cancer; targeted therapy