Complete remission following pembrolizumab therapy for a patient with nephroureterectomy positive-margin carcinoma in situ and bladder cancer unresponsive to Bacille Calmette-Guerin therapy

An 82-year-old man was diagnosed with synchronous non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and left lower ureteral carcinoma. He underwent transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, followed by total left nephroureterectomy after preoperative chemotherapy with four courses of gemcitabine and carboplatin. Histopathological findings showed positive-margin carcinoma in situ. In addition, since recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer was observed in the bladder, Bacille Calmette-Guerin intravesical infusion therapy was performed, but the cancer persisted due to treatment resistance. After that, pembrolizumab therapy was performed, and complete remission was achieved.

Automated summary

This is a case report of an 82-year-old male patient diagnosed with synchronous non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and left lower ureteral carcinoma. The patient underwent transurethral resection of the bladder tumor and total left nephroureterectomy after preoperative chemotherapy. Histopathological findings revealed positive-margin carcinoma in situ. Despite Bacille Calmette-Guerin intravesical infusion therapy and recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, complete remission was achieved after pembrolizumab therapy.