Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy: Clinical Efficacy and Safety.

A major breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy was the discovery of immune checkpoint proteins, which function to effectively inhibit the immune system through various mechanisms. The first of such molecules shown to inhibit both T-cell proliferation and IL-2 production was cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). With this discovery, efforts turned to blocking this inhibitory pathway in an attempt to activate dormant T-cells directed at cancer cells.

Pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoma in a patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease.

A 61-year-old female with a past medical history significant for von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome presented with multiple bilateral pulmonary lesions found on surveillance computed tomography scan. Positron emission tomography demonstrated avidity in a lesion in the right upper lobe. After an equivocal biopsy, a lobectomy via a thoracoscopic approach was performed as this lesion was concerning for a primary lung cancer.