Promising response to a PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab) in non-small cell lung cancer: A case report

RATIONALE: Lung cancer is the cancer with the highest incidence and mortality in China and worldwide. Among them, 85% are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). No previous reports have been published to describe the clinical effect of the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) sintilimab in NSCLC yet. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report a case of a 64-year-old woman with a 20-day history of chest pain with computed tomography scan showing a right lower lung mass. DIAGNOSES: Squamous NSCLC was diagnosed by bronchoscopy. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with sintilimab plus nedaplatin and paclitaxel as neoadjuvant therapy for 3 cycles, followed by right thoracotomy, right middle lobectomy, right lower lobectomy, hilar lymphadenectomy, mediastinal lymphadenectomy, and pericardiostomy. OUTCOMES: The patient was discharged from the hospital 12 days after operation. Pathological report showed no cancer residue in the lung tissue, the bronchial stump, the anastomotic lung marginal tissue, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th lymph nodes or in the peribronchial lymph nodes after repeated sampling. The pathological stage was deemed T0N0M0. She remained disease free until the latest follow up in July 2019. LESSONS: Sintilimab is a promising drug for patients with locally advanced NSCLC. However, its efficacy still requires further clinical investigations.