Is Keytruda (pembrolizumab) considered chemotherapy?
No. Keytruda is not chemotherapy. It is an immunotherapy drug (an immune checkpoint inhibitor) that helps your immune system recognize and attack cancer cells [1].
How Keytruda works compared with chemotherapy
Chemotherapy usually kills rapidly dividing cells, which can include cancer cells and some healthy cells. Keytruda works differently: it blocks a checkpoint (PD-1) on immune cells, which can allow T-cells to better target tumors [1].
What cancers is Keytruda used for?
Keytruda is used for multiple cancer types, including several where it may be given alone or combined with other treatments (which can include chemotherapy depending on the cancer and regimen) [2].
Can Keytruda be used alongside chemotherapy?
Yes. In some treatment plans, Keytruda may be combined with chemotherapy or given after/along with other therapies. That does not change the fact that Keytruda itself is immunotherapy, not chemotherapy [2].
Why people might confuse Keytruda with chemotherapy
Both chemotherapy and immunotherapy can be given by infusion and can cause side effects during cancer treatment, so patients sometimes group them together. But they are different drug classes with different mechanisms [1][2].
Sources
[1] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/pembrolizumab-keytruda
[2] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/pembrolizumab-keytruda/patient-pembrolizumab-pdq