Immunotherapy, Chemotherapy, or Both: Options for First-Line Therapy for Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Overview

Journal J Clin Oncol

Specialty Oncology

Date 2022 Oct 12

PMID 36223554

Authors

Alan L Ho

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Journal Journal of Clinical Oncology.The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized the management of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). The landmark KEYNOTE-048 clinical trial established the programmed death-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab with and without chemotherapy as a new standard first-line treatment for patients with platinum-sensitive R/M HNSCC. Nonetheless, clinical decision making can be challenging when considering the significant morbidity associated with rapidly progressive disease in high-risk locations, patient fitness, and programmed death-ligand 1 expression. Both planned and unplanned subgroup analyses from KEYNOTE-048 provide valuable insights into how therapy for untreated R/M HNSCC may be optimized for individual patients. Given differences in the toxicity profile of pembrolizumab alone versus in combination with chemotherapy, prioritizing patient preference is paramount in this palliative treatment setting. Here, the case of a patient presenting with de novo metastatic HNSCC is discussed to highlight the practical application of KEYNOTE-048 data in clinical practice.

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