Responses of metastatic primary fallopian tube carcinoma to pembrolizumab and nab-paclitaxel: A case report

RATIONALE Primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is an extremely rare but invasive malignancy with a dismal prognosis. Very few data exist on the salvage treatment for patients with PFTC. Here we report a case showing an impressive response to immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, which have never been reported before on patients with metastatic PFTC. PATIENT CONCERNS A 42-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with PFTC in 2010, had been failed of multiple systemic therapies and antiangiogenic therapy because of the disease recurrence and progression. DIAGNOSIS Metastatic primary fallopian tube carcinoma. INTERVENTIONS The patient underwent surgery in May 2010 and had multi-line chemotherapies plus an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) monoclonal antibody for about 9 years. Due to treatment failure the patient accepted the immunotherapy with the checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab, combined with nab-paclitaxel from December 2018 to April 2019. OUTCOMES The patient showed a complete response after 6 cycles treatment. Thus far, the patient is taking pembrolizumab as maintenance and remains in good health. LESSONS Pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy for treatment of PFTC may provide a positive antitumor effect in multiple metastatic lesions, but more clinical evidence is needed to confirm the efficacy and safety.