Case report: anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK ) rearranged adenocarcinoma with high level of microsatellite instability response to pembrolizumab

The presence of anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( rearrangement is reported to be related to the lack of efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). High levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-high) are important biomarkers of ICIs, particularly in colorectal cancer. The therapeutic effect of ICIs for MSI-high NSCLC is uncertain because of the rarity of these tumors. Here we report a case of rearranged NSCLC with MSI-high. A 48-year-old male was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, cT4N3M1a, stage IVA with rearrangement, high PD-L1 expression with a tumor proportion score (TPS) of 100%, and MSI-high. The patient was treated with alectinib as the first-line therapy but progressed at five months with left atrial invasion re-expansion. The patient discontinued alectinib and was switched to pembrolizumab monotherapy. After two months, left atrial invasion significantly decreased. The patient continued pembrolizumab for a year without noticeable adverse events, and tumor shrinkage persisted. This case supports the efficacy of ICIs for MSI-high NSCLC, even in the presence of rearrangement.