Objective  To assess the role of multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) in immunotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma.

  Methods  The MDT diagnosis and treatment process of a patient with pseudo-progression and immune-related adverse reactions during the treatment of nivolumab, a programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, in advanced lung adenocarcinoma in The First Hospital of China Medical University was analyzed.

  Results  After MDT discussions, the patient underwent a second puncture biopsy of the lung lesion, which was confirmed to be pseudo-progression. In addition, the patient was treated with local pulmonary radiotherapy and anti-inflammatory and analgesic treatment. Immunotherapy continued after pseudo- progression was identified, and effect evaluation revealed partial response (PR) was achieved. Immunotherapy-related joint swelling and pain disappeared after symptomatic treatment and did not recur during the follow-up treatment.

  Conclusions  Immunotherapy will be an important therapeutic modality for lung adenocarcinoma in the future, and the balance between its efficacy and adverse reactions should be considered by clinicians. Adopting MDT is conducive for formulating standardized and individualized treatment plans and exploring more effective treatment methods for lung adenocarcinoma so that more patients are benefited.