Lung cancer is the second most common and mortality disease in the world. Most patients with lung cancer are already at the advanced stage when diagnosed. There are multiple treatments for advanced lung cancer. Among them, immunotherapy plus chemotherapy has gradually become the first-line treatment. Lung cancer has multiple complications, superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a common complication of patients with advanced lung cancer. The current treatments include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and stent implantation. Stent implantation has the disadvantages of invasiveness and poor efficacy. Immunotherapy, as an emerging treatment for tumors, has shown significant advantages in treating patients with advanced lung cancer. However, the treatment of advanced lung cancer with SVCS using immunotherapy has rarely been reported. Here, we reported a 48-year-old male patient with stage IV (T4N3M1) lung squamous cell carcinoma. After receiving 1 cycle (3 weeks) of comprehensive treatment with sintilimab plus chemotherapy, the tumor mass shrank by 30% to achieve partial response (PR), collateral circulation was formed, and most of the symptoms caused by SVCS disappeared. After 3 cycles of treatment, the tumor shrank by nearly 90%, and the superior and inferior vena cava opened larger than before. Our case provides a novel treatment strategy for such patients.
Keywords: Lung squamous cell carcinoma; case report; immunotherapy; sintilimab; superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS).