J Doescher1, C-J Busch2, B Wollenberg3, A Dietz4, N Würdemann5, P Schuler1, T K Hoffmann1, S Laban6. 1. Kopf-Hals-Tumorzentrum des Universitätsklinikums Ulm, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde und Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Frauensteige 12, 87070, Ulm, Deutschland. 2. Kopf-Hals-Tumorzentrum des Universitären Cancer Center Hamburg, Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie und -Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Deutschland. 3. Kopf-Hals-Tumorzentrum am Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Klinik für Hals‑, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig Holstein, Lübeck, Deutschland. 4. Kopf-Hals-Tumorzentrum am Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals‑, Nasen‑, Ohrenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Deutschland. 5. Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals‑, Nasen‑, Ohrenheilkunde, Uniklinik Köln, Köln, Deutschland. 6. Kopf-Hals-Tumorzentrum des Universitätsklinikums Ulm, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde und Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Frauensteige 12, 87070, Ulm, Deutschland. simon.laban@uniklinik-ulm.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In the field of immunotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a high level of study activity can still be observed. The results of the Keynote-048 study on first-line therapy with pembrolizumab were a highlight at this year's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All abstracts and presentations on immunotherapy of head and neck tumors presented at ASCO 2019 were evaluated for relevance and the most interesting studies were summarized. RESULTS: The Keynote-048 study showed an improvement in overall survival with pembrolizumab monotherapy for patients with measurable programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression according to the combined positive score (CPS), and for the whole cohort with the combination of pembrolizumab and platin/5-fluorouracil (FU). The EAGLE study on durvalumab ± tremelimumab in second-line therapy did not demonstrate any improvement in response rates or overall survival compared to standard therapy. In addition, several new immunotherapeutic approaches and combinations were presented. CONCLUSION: The results of the Keynote-048 study have already led to the approval of pembrolizumab in the first line for platin-sensitive HNSCC in the USA and the expected approval in Europe will presumably change the therapeutic landscape in the long term. In the future, effective therapies for patients without a response to programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibition will be needed.
BACKGROUND: In the field of immunotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a high level of study activity can still be observed. The results of the Keynote-048 study on first-line therapy with pembrolizumab were a highlight at this year's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All abstracts and presentations on immunotherapy of head and neck tumors presented at ASCO 2019 were evaluated for relevance and the most interesting studies were summarized. RESULTS: The Keynote-048 study showed an improvement in overall survival with pembrolizumab monotherapy for patients with measurable programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression according to the combined positive score (CPS), and for the whole cohort with the combination of pembrolizumab and platin/5-fluorouracil (FU). The EAGLE study on durvalumab ± tremelimumab in second-line therapy did not demonstrate any improvement in response rates or overall survival compared to standard therapy. In addition, several new immunotherapeutic approaches and combinations were presented. CONCLUSION: The results of the Keynote-048 study have already led to the approval of pembrolizumab in the first line for platin-sensitive HNSCC in the USA and the expected approval in Europe will presumably change the therapeutic landscape in the long term. In the future, effective therapies for patients without a response to programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibition will be needed.
Entities:
Keywords:
Antineoplastic agents; Head and neck neoplasms; Human papilloma viruses; Squamous cell carcinoma; Tumor antibodies
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