Anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy for porocarcinoma: a case report and literature review.

A 78-year-old female with a history of multiple comorbidities was admitted due to a 20-year-old skin mass in the right temporal region with ulceration for more than 2 months. Porocarcinoma (PC) was confirmed by pathological and immunohistochemical examination of surgically resected tissue. The patient developed rapid recurrence after tumor resection and received 5 cycles of penpulimab combined with nab-paclitaxel. Efficacy was evaluated as a partial response (PR) after 2 cycles, stable disease (SD) with minor regression after 4 cycles, and progressive disease (PD) after 5 cycles. Subsequent treatment with anlotinib hydrochloride capsules combined with local radiotherapy was administered, and the patient ultimately succumbed to the disease. Emerging evidence in recent years has highlighted the potential of immune checkpoint blockers for rare cutaneous malignancies. Our case report demonstrates that combination therapy with an anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody and chemotherapy exhibits therapeutic efficacy in PC. During the entire treatment course, an initial response was achieved followed by acquired resistance, with the best overall response being PR, suggesting that this combination regimen may serve as one of the viable therapeutic options for this refractory malignancy. This study aims to enhance the understanding of the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of PC.