Case Report: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors as a Single Agent in the Treatment of Metastatic Cervical Cancer

The incidence of cervical cancer has decreased in recent years due to widespread vaccination and routine screenings. It can be treated successfully, and the prognosis is also excellent if detected early. However, the 5-year survival rate for patients with stage IV cervical cancer is only 17% even with aggressive systemic chemotherapy. With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s approval of immunotherapy, the prognosis has improved. We present a patient with stage IV cervical cancer who could not tolerate platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab, so she was started on an immune checkpoint inhibitor, as her tumor was 100% programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) positive. She survived more than 2 years since the diagnosis of stage IV cervical cancer without any significant side effects. Based on our patient's response, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors as a single agent needs further research and probably can be considered in patients with stage 4 cervical cancer who cannot tolerate standard chemotherapy.

Automated summary

The incidence of cervical cancer has decreased due to vaccination and screenings. Early detection leads to successful treatment and excellent prognosis, but stage IV patients have low survival rates. With immunotherapy approved, the prognosis has improved. A stage IV cervical cancer patient, unable to tolerate chemotherapy, responded well to an immune checkpoint inhibitor and survived over two years without significant side effects. Further research is needed for the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors as a single agent for stage 4 cervical cancer patients who cannot tolerate standard chemotherapy.