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Gauduchon et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2019;5:72 Journal of Cancer
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2019.023 Metastasis and Treatment

Review Open Access

Head and neck cancer and immunotherapy: current
knowledge and perspective

Thibault Gauduchon, Thibaut Reverdy, Max Gau, Andy Karabajakian, Laetitia Collet, Eve-Marie Neidhardt,
Jérôme Fayette

Université Claude Bernard LYON 1, Centre de lutte contre le cancer Léon-Bérard, Département d’oncologie médicale, Lyon
69008, France.

Correspondence to: Dr. Thibault Gauduchon, Université Claude Bernard LYON 1, Centre de lutte contre le cancer Léon-Bérard,
Département d’oncologie médicale, Lyon 69008, France. E-mail: thibault.gauduchon@lyon.unicancer.fr
How to cite this article: Gauduchon T, Reverdy T, Gau M, Karabajakian A, Collet L, Neidhardt EM, Fayette J. Head and neck
cancer and immunotherapy: current knowledge and perspective. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2019;5:72.
http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-4722.2019.023

Received: 15 Aug 2019 First Decision: 18 Sep 2019 Revised: 16 Oct 2019 Accepted: 16 Oct 2019 Published: 30 Oct 2019
Science Editor: Pravin D. Potdar Copy Editor: Cai-Hong Wang Production Editor: Jing Yu

Abstract
As with many types of cancer, immunotherapy is changing the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the
head and neck (HNSCC). In a locally advanced or metastatic setting, treatment options have long been curtailed,
but this paradigm is currently changing. Checkpoint inhibitors were the first to be validated in second-line treatment
with PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors and these treatments are available in USA for first-line use. In addition, many studies
are underway to use its molecules earlier in the care or try to increase their effectiveness with associations. The
issues of patient selection that would benefit the most from immunotherapy and the evaluation of the response
to these treatments are not completely solved. The goal is here to update the possibilities of current treatment by
immunotherapy in HNSCC as well as on various development pathways in progress.

Keywords: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, checkpoint inhibitors, immunotherapy, clinical trial

INTRODUCTION
Head and neck cancers are currently responsible for more than 700,000 cases and more than 350,000
[1]
deaths per year . After a heavy treatment combining surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, more
[2]
than half of the patients relapse locoregional or metastatic . With chemotherapy and anti-epidermal
growth factor receptor, advanced treatment was relatively limited before the arrival of immunotherapy in

© The Author(s) 2019. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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