Robust response to pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib in a patient with renal cell carcinoma with rhabdoid features: A case report

Abstract

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with rhabdoid features is a rare and highly aggressive condition with no established treatment for early recurrence. We herein report a case involving a 58-year-old man who underwent nephrectomy for clear-cell RCC with rhabdoid features and developed rapid metastases within 3 months. Treatment with pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib achieved a sustained partial response, except for vertebral metastasis. Thereafter, radiotherapy was added, and systemic therapy resumed, which maintained disease control for 2 years. Immunohistochemistry revealed partial PD-L1 expression in rhabdoid areas. This case highlights the potential efficacy of pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib in RCC with rhabdoid features.