A Case of Full Recovery from Prolonged Cardiac Arrest after Infusion with Paclitaxel and Pembrolizumab

Abstract

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and has the highest risk of mortality in both genders. This devastating cancer is also a significant financial and emotional burden to patients and the healthcare system. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy have become the cornerstone for the treatment of lung cancer. However, treatment may come with severe and sometimes fatal side effects. In this report, we present the case of a 52-year-old Caucasian male who suffered two episodes of prolonged cardiac arrest after the infusion of paclitaxel and pembrolizumab.

Cardiotoxicity of immunotherapy in lung cancer in light of new ESC guidelines

“…The diagnosis of the described patient was carried out in accordance with the 2022 ESC guidelines on cardio-oncology. Cardiotoxicity induced by pembrolizumab has been observed both in patients with pre-existing cardiac conditions as a result of immunotherapy, as illustrated in the case presented here, as well as in patients without a history of heart disease, as demonstrated in the case described by Sh Ahmed et al [15]. The described patient has a long medical history of sustained AF, a history of ischemic stroke 1 before the current event, and hyperlipidemia.…”