PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) are revolutionizing the treatment of advanced cancers including recurrent and or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (RM-SCCHN). RECENT FINDINGS: In this review, we will summarize the results of prospective trials evaluating CPI and particularly antiprogrammed death 1 (PD-1)/antiprogrammed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in RM-SCCHN. SUMMARY: Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab, two anti-PD-1 CPI, were associated with longer overall survival than standard chemotherapy in pretreated RM-SCCHN in two randomized phase 3 trials (respectively CHECKMATE-141 and KEYNOTE-040). Both are now approved in this setting. In the KEYNOTE-048 trial, the pembrolizumab was also associated with a longer survival when compared with the EXTREME regimen in first-line RM-SCCHN patients whose tumors overexpressed PD-L1 (combined positive score ≥20%). This trial also showed a superiority of platinum-based chemotherapy and pembrolizumab vs. EXTREME regimen in unselected first-line RM-SCCHN. Pembrolizumab will probably be the next standard of care for first-line RM-SCCHN with high expression of PD-L1. Further evaluation of CPI combined with other antitumoral agents is ongoing in advanced and locally advanced SCCHN.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) are revolutionizing the treatment of advanced cancers including recurrent and or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (RM-SCCHN). RECENT FINDINGS: In this review, we will summarize the results of prospective trials evaluating CPI and particularly antiprogrammed death 1 (PD-1)/antiprogrammed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in RM-SCCHN. SUMMARY:Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab, two anti-PD-1 CPI, were associated with longer overall survival than standard chemotherapy in pretreated RM-SCCHN in two randomized phase 3 trials (respectively CHECKMATE-141 and KEYNOTE-040). Both are now approved in this setting. In the KEYNOTE-048 trial, the pembrolizumab was also associated with a longer survival when compared with the EXTREME regimen in first-line RM-SCCHNpatients whose tumors overexpressed PD-L1 (combined positive score ≥20%). This trial also showed a superiority of platinum-based chemotherapy and pembrolizumab vs. EXTREME regimen in unselected first-line RM-SCCHN. Pembrolizumab will probably be the next standard of care for first-line RM-SCCHN with high expression of PD-L1. Further evaluation of CPI combined with other antitumoral agents is ongoing in advanced and locally advanced SCCHN.
Authors: Nabil F Saba; Pooja Vijayvargiya; Jan B Vermorken; Juan P Rodrigo; Stefan M Willems; Nina Zidar; Remco de Bree; Antti Mäkitie; Greg T Wolf; Athanassios Argiris; Yong Teng; Alfio Ferlito Journal: Cancers (Basel) Date: 2022-02-25 Impact factor: 6.639
Authors: Paramita Baruah; Jessica Bullenkamp; Philip O G Wilson; Michael Lee; Juan Carlos Kaski; Ingrid E Dumitriu Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2019-07-16 Impact factor: 7.561