Immunotherapy for head and neck cancer

Abstract

The concept of immunotherapy as a treatment for cancer patients has been in existence for decades. However, more recent immune therapeutic approaches have involved targeting of tumor-specific antigens. While improvements have been made in using such immune stimulatory treatment strategies for a variety of solid cancers, the use of these strategies for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is lagging behind. Immunotherapeutic approaches for HNSCC are particularly complicated by the profound immune suppression that is induced by HNSCC, which potentially lessens the effectiveness of immune stimulatory efforts. Trials involving patients with various solid cancers have shown the enhanced effectiveness of combining various immunotherapeutic approaches or combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Treatment of HNSCC with such combination approaches has not been extensively investigated and has the added challenge of the need to overcome the HNSCC-induced immune suppression. This review focuses on clinical trials that have tested immunotherapeutic approaches for HNSCC patients and the challenges associated with such approaches. In addition, it will call attention to immunotherapeutic strategies that have been demonstrated as successful in the treatment of other solid cancers in order to identify potential strategies that may apply to the treatment of HNSCC.

T-Lymphocyte Activation Is Correlated With the Presence of Anti-EBV in Patients With Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Despite improvements in surgical and radiotherapeutic techniques, the 5-year overall survival associated with this cancer type remains poor (59.6-66.8%) (2). Novel treatment approaches for laryngeal cancer (LC) are immunotherapeutic strategies based on the enhancement of the immune system's recognition of tumor antigens and include stimulation of cellular response and vaccination therapies (3,4). Chronic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is regarded as an important risk factor for the occurrence of tongue and oropharyngeal cancer (5,6) and is etiologically linked with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (7).…”

Advances in Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy

“…These strategies are summarized in useful reviews by De Costa and Young [ 250 ], Ferris et al [ 251 ], and Russell and Colevas [ 252 ]. The EGFR is overexpressed in oral premalignant and malignant lesions [ 253 ] and is the most common tumor antigen against which antibody therapies are directed in HNSCC.…”

Upregulation of secreted phosphoprotein 1 affects malignant progression, prognosis, and resistance to cetuximab via the KRAS/MEK pathway in head and neck cancer

“…Even with the advances in therapies and surgical techniques, the 5-year overall survival (OS) remains approximately 40%-60% in the past several decades. 3 One of the obstacles to cancer treatment is drug resistance, which is caused by the inherent heterogeneity of cancer cells. 4 Therefore, the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for cancer drug resistance have attracted extensive attention.…”