AUTHOR=Zhang Jing , Xiong Wenji , Wang Hong , Sun Lemeng , Chen Chen , Sun Xueru , Man Xiuyue , Yang Lei , Li Zhihong 

TITLE=Treatment strategies for rapid recurrence and progression after surgery for stage I pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma: a case report and literature review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1547872

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2025.1547872

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is a rare and poorly differentiated subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), primarily originating from non-epithelial tissue. Currently, there is no consensus on optimal treatment strategies for patients with PPC presenting diverse clinical features. This report describes an elderly male with stage I pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma. Five months after surgery, the disease progressed rapidly, resulting in vertebral metastasis. Following a second surgery, the patient was treated with a programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitor combined with cytotoxic therapy. This regimen led to significant tumor shrinkage, achieving a partial response (PR). These findings suggest that combining immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with chemotherapy may improve outcomes for patients with advanced PPC.