Pembrolizumab: 145 Real Stories

145 stories match pembrolizumab. 140 of them mention immunotherapy.

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

KRAS G12C Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with synchronous urothelial carcinoma and durable response

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Lung adenocarcinoma: KRAS ; PD-L1 TPS 5%. Urothelial carcinoma: GATA3-positive; CK7-positive; TTF1-negative.

Metastatic Site: homolateral pulmonary metastases and N2 lymph nodes…

After enfortumab vedotin, the urothelial carcinoma reached complete radiologic response and the lung cancer remained partially responding/stable; treatment was stopped after 16 months, and PET 2 months later showed complete metabolic response.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer treated with pembrolizumab trial complicated by acquired lipodystrophy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: HER2-negative breast cancer. Metabolic changes occurred during/after pembrolizumab.

As of December 2025, breast cancer treatment had included neoadjuvant chemotherapy/pembrolizumab, surgery, adjuvant pembrolizumab, and endocrine therapy; CT did not show recurrence during weight-loss evaluation, but she required ongoing metabolic care for pembrolizumab-associated acquired generalized lipodystrophy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IIIA KRAS/STK11/TP53-mutated lung adenocarcinoma: fatal pembrolizumab-induced myocarditis after adjuvant therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+ | Stage III

Biomarkers: Ki-67 20-25%; PD-L1 expression 10%; KRAS exon 2 mutation; STK11 mutation; TP53 mutation

As of December 2025, he had died after 15 days of hospitalization from sepsis and multi-organ failure following severe pembrolizumab-induced myocarditis after adjuvant treatment for resected Stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Squamous Cell CarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IV squamous lung cancer: complete response followed by fatal bone marrow metastasis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: with PD-L1 95%. SCC antigen/CYFRA rose at relapse.

Metastatic Site: bone (spine, bilateral humerus, bilateral femur); bone…

As of December 2025, he had died of aspiration pneumonia 1 month after admission for biopsy-confirmed bone marrow metastasis from squamous lung cancer, despite a prior complete response to chemoimmunotherapy and pembrolizumab maintenance.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
Tommy, who was diagnosed with Stage III Colorectal CancerColorectal Cancer

Stage III MSI-High Colorectal Cancer: Tommy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Tommy Allen, Male, 50s | Stage III

Biomarkers: MSI-high; Lynch syndrome

As of November 2025, Tommy was cancer-free 5 years after pembrolizumab, ileostomy, Whipple procedure, partial colectomy, and ileostomy closure for Stage III MSI-high colon cancer with Lynch syndrome.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer with pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy complicated by immune toxicity

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative

Left mastectomy on November 17 confirmed pathologic complete response, and 5-month follow-up showed no residual hepatic, dermatological, metabolic, or neurological sequelae from the treatment-related complications.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Squamous Cell CarcinomaLung Cancer

Synchronous primary squamous lung cancers: long disease control after multimodal therapy, then Stage IVA lung recurrence

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Squamous lung cancers with PD-L1 20% and no driver mutation detected; P40/P63 markers supported squamous type.

Metastatic Site: bilateral lung metastases at recurrence

As of November 2025, the patient had achieved 72 months of progression-free survival and remained alive at 75 months, but had developed Stage IVA recurrent pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma with bilateral lung metastases and had restarted systemic therapy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage I Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Second primary Stage I lung adenocarcinoma treated with segmentectomy and adjuvant pembrolizumab

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage I

Biomarkers: PD-L1 <1%; no common targetable lung cancer changes found in EGFR, ALK, KRAS, BRAF, MET, PIK3CA, RET, ROS1, or NTRK.

At 6-month oncologic follow-up, PET-CT showed complete metabolic response with no evidence of residual disease after segmentectomy and adjuvant pembrolizumab.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with paraneoplastic nephrotic syndrome during pembrolizumab therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 tumor proportion score >50% by Roche SP263 assay; KRAS exon 3 mutation; NGS/FISH did not identify targets for first-line targeted therapy

Metastatic Site: brain, bone

Pembrolizumab produced partial response and improved nephrotic-syndrome parameters, but bone metastases progressed in September 2022 and the right upper-lobe target lesion progressed 2 months later, leading to carboplatin plus pemetrexed.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
A patient, who was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Triple-negative node-positive breast cancer with complete pathologic response and benign nodal nevi

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer; BRCA testing negative. Axillary melanocytic cells looked benign.

Pathology showed complete response in the breast, no residual breast carcinoma in the sampled specimen, and axillary nodal melanocytic proliferations interpreted as benign nodal nevi rather than metastatic melanoma or breast carcinoma.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Synchronous triple-negative breast cancer and rectal adenocarcinoma complicated by hepatitis B reactivation

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: Triple-negative breast cancer with pathogenic BRCA1 mutation; hepatitis B reactivation occurred during treatment.

At 3-year follow-up, she remained healthy and disease-free after treatment for synchronous triple-negative breast cancer and mid-rectal adenocarcinoma, with hepatitis B reactivation controlled on entecavir.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IIIB non-squamous NSCLC on chemoimmunotherapy: alcohol-related hypertonic hyponatremia corrected during oncology follow-up

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage III

Biomarkers: Tumor biomarkers not reported. Severe hyponatremia workup showed high serum osmolality and ethanol level.

He remained under oncology follow-up for Stage IIIB non-squamous NSCLC while alcohol-related hypertonic hyponatremia improved after detoxification and alcohol cessation.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

ALK-rearranged Stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma: partial response to pembrolizumab as eighth-line treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK strongly positive by IHC 3+; ALK rearrangement confirmed by FISH; PD-L1 expression 95% by 22C3 immunostaining; CEA 2.3 ng/mL at diagnosis

Metastatic Site: brain

Nine months after pembrolizumab was started as eighth-line therapy, he maintained a partial response after prior progression on multiple ALK inhibitors and chemotherapies.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Lynn, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage III Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Lynn's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lynn Leiro, Female, Under 40 | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative

Lynn achieved complete response after breast cancer treatment and remission from therapy-related acute lymphocytic leukemia after CAR T cell therapy and bone marrow transplant; as of July 2025, nearly 1 year post-transplant, she was doing better and getting stronger.

City of Hope
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage III Breast CancerBreast Cancer

Stage IIIB triple-negative breast cancer: complete response after LVAD-supported neoadjuvant immunotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage III

Biomarkers: ER-negative; PR-negative; HER2-negative; Ki-67 95%; nuclear grade 3, triple negative

As of July 2025, breast cancer remained in remission 2.5 years after mastectomy, after neoadjuvant paclitaxel/carboplatin/pembrolizumab, surgery, radiation, and 1 year of adjuvant pembrolizumab.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Alisa, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV ALK Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Alisa's Patient Story

Patient Info: Alisa Secaida, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK-positive / ALK-rearranged

Metastatic Site: Brain; lymph nodes

As of May 2025, after alectinib and lung surgery, pathology still showed active tumor and lymph-node cancer cells, and Alisa was receiving IMRT for remaining disease.

City of Hope
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Metastatic lung squamous cell carcinoma: no recurrence after chemoimmunotherapy and pembrolizumab maintenance

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; PD-L1 TPS 95%; TTF-1-negative; p40-positive

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes; bilateral lung nodules

As of April 2025, PET/CT 3 years after treatment initiation showed no sign of recurrence after carboplatin, nab-paclitaxel, pembrolizumab, and 2 years of pembrolizumab monotherapy.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: pembrolizumab response complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: CK7-positive; TTF-1-positive; p40 focally positive; high tumor mutational burden; no targetable mutations identified

Metastatic Site: right axillary lymph node; right hilar lymph nodes;…

As of April 2025, the patient was tolerating single-agent pemetrexed without evidence of lung cancer progression, while pulmonary arterial hypertension symptoms had improved on riociguat and macitentan.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal CarcinomaBreast Cancer

Lung inflammation from pembrolizumab immunotherapy returned months after stopping treatment

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: Estrogen receptor-negative; progesterone receptor-negative; HER2-negative

Surgery confirmed a pathologic complete response, and she remained in breast-cancer remission during routine follow-up after treatment for recurrent pembrolizumab-related pneumonitis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED