18F-FDG PET/CT Monitoring of Response to Programmed Death Protein 1 Blockade in Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma

Clin Nucl Med. 2021 Aug 1;46(8):e436-e437. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000003528.

Abstract

A 73-year-old woman with history of metastatic basal cell carcinoma presented with a large spinal mass demonstrating a high mutational burden of 111 mutations/Mb. She underwent T12 corpectomy and T10-L3 posterior spinal fusion followed by adjuvant radiation. After 2 years of surveillance, FDG PET/CT and a contrast-enhanced MRI revealed recurrence, prompting salvage therapy with the hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor, sonidegib, which only transiently stabilized the disease. An off-label treatment with the programmed death protein 1 inhibitor, pembrolizumab, was initiated. Serial FDG PET/CT showed gradual decline in tumor metabolism over the next 12 months, leading to complete metabolic response.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / pharmacology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Carcinoma, Basal Cell / diagnostic imaging*
  • Carcinoma, Basal Cell / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Basal Cell / pathology
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18*
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography*
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Skin Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Skin Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • PDCD1 protein, human
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • pembrolizumab