Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.21053/ceo.2018.00150

Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer  

Denaro, Nerina (Department of Oncology, ASO Santa Croce e Carle)
Merlano, Marco Carlo (Department of Oncology, ASO Santa Croce e Carle)
Publication Information
Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology / v.11, no.4, 2018 , pp. 217-223 More about this Journal
Abstract
Prognosis in relapsed metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer (RM-HNSCC) is dismal. Platinum based chemotherapy in combination with Cetuximab is used in first-line setting, while no further validated options are available at progression. Immunotherapy has produced durable clinical benefit in some patients with RM-HNSCC although the premises are several patients are nonresponders. Studies are ongoing to determine predictive factors and the ideal setting/combination of novel immunotherapies. In this paper, we discuss the past and present of immunotherapy in head and neck cancer and provide an up-to-date information regarding the potential ways to improve immunotherapy outcomes in HNSCC.
Keywords
Immunotherapy; Tumor Immune Escape; Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Head And Neck; Biomarkers;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Seiwert TY, Zuo Z, Keck MK, Khattri A, Pedamallu CS, Stricker T, et al. Integrative and comparative genomic analysis of HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Clin Cancer Res. 2015 Feb;21(3):632-41.   DOI
2 Barber GN. STING: infection, inflammation and cancer. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015 Dec;15(12):760-70.   DOI
3 Li K, Qu S, Chen X, Wu Q, Shi M. Promising targets for cancer immunotherapy: TLRs, RLRs, and STING-mediated innate immune pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Feb;18(2):E404.   DOI
4 Wolchok JD, Chiarion-Sileni V, Gonzalez R, Rutkowski P, Grob JJ, Cowey CL, et al. Overall survival with combined nivolumab and ipilimumab in advanced melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2017 Oct;377(14):1345-56.   DOI
5 Burugu S, Dancsok AR, Nielsen TO. Emerging targets in cancer immunotherapy. Semin Cancer Biol. 2018 Oct;52(Pt 2):39-52.
6 Economopoulou P, Kotsantis I, Psyrri A. The promise of immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: combinatorial immunotherapy approaches. ESMO Open. 2017 Feb;1(6):e000122.   DOI
7 Cohen EE, Ferris RL, Gash K, Manjarrez K, Dietsch G, Hershberg RM, et al. Active8: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of chemotherapy plus cetuximab in combination with VTX-2337 in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). J Clin Oncol. 2014;32(15 suppl):TPS3123.   DOI
8 ClinicalTrials. Phase Ib study of neoadjuvant of cetuximab plus motolimod and cetuximab plus motolimod plus nivolumab: NCT02124850 [Internet]. Bethesda: U.S. National Library of Medicine; [cited 2018 Mar 26]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02124850?recrs=ab&cond=CETUXIMAB+AND+MOTOLIMOD&rank=1A.
9 ClinicalTrials. Pembrolizumab in combination with CRT for LA-SCCHN: NCT02586207 [Internet]. Bethesda: U.S. National Library of Medicine; [cited 2018 Mar 26]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02586207?term=nct02586207&rank=1.
10 ClinicalTrials. Immunotherapy with MK-3475 in surgically resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: NCT02296684 [Internet]. Bethesda: U.S. National Library of Medicine; [cited 2018 Mar 26]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02296684?cond=Immunotherapy+with+MK-3475+in+surgically+resectable+head+and+neck+squamous+cell+carcinoma&rank=1.
11 Smola S, Trimble C, Stern PL. Human papillomavirus-driven immune deviation: challenge and novel opportunity for immunotherapy. Ther Adv Vaccines. 2017 Jun;5(3):69-82.   DOI
12 Ooft ML, van Ipenburg JA, Sanders ME, Kranendonk M, Hofland I, de Bree R, et al. Prognostic role of tumour-associated macrophages and regulatory T cells in EBV-positive and EBV-negative nasopharyngeal carcinoma. J Clin Pathol. 2018 Mar;71(3):267-74.   DOI
13 Bauml J, Seiwert TY, Pfister DG, Worden F, Liu SV, Gilbert J, et al. Pembrolizumab for platinum- and cetuximab-refractory head and neck cancer: results from a single-arm, phase II study. J Clin Oncol. 2017 May;35(14):1542-9.   DOI
14 Merlano M, Vitale V, Rosso R, Benasso M, Corvo R, Cavallari M, et al. Treatment of advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck with alternating chemotherapy and radiotherapy. N Engl J Med. 1992 Oct;327(16):1115-21.   DOI
15 Harrington KJ, Ferris RL, Blumenschein G Jr, Colevas AD, Fayette J, Licitra L, et al. Nivolumab versus standard, single-agent therapy of investigator's choice in recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (CheckMate 141): health-related quality-of-life results from a randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2017 Aug;18(8):1104-15.   DOI
16 Mandal S, Senbabaoglu Y, Desrichard A, Havel JJ, Dalin MG, Riaz N, et al. The head and neck cancer immune landscape and its immunotherapeutic implications. JCI Insight. 2016 Oct;1(17):e89829.
17 Saada-Bouzid E, Defaucheux C, Karabajakian A, Coloma VP, Servois V, Paoletti X, et al. Hyperprogression during anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Ann Oncol. 2017 Jul;28(7):1605-11.   DOI
18 Bernier J, Domenge C, Ozsahin M, Matuszewska K, Lefebvre JL, Greiner RH, et al. Postoperative irradiation with or without concomitant chemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer. N Engl J Med. 2004 May;350(19):1945-52.   DOI
19 Cooper JS, Pajak TF, Forastiere AA, Jacobs J, Campbell BH, Saxman SB, et al. Postoperative concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy for high-risk squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. N Engl J Med. 2004 May;350(19):1937-44.   DOI
20 Adelstein DJ, Li Y, Adams GL, Wagner H Jr, Kish JA, Ensley JF, et al. An intergroup phase III comparison of standard radiation therapy and two schedules of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable squamous cell head and neck cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2003 Jan;21(1):92-8.   DOI
21 Mattox AK, Lee J, Westra WH, Pierce RH, Ghossein R, Faquin WC, et al. PD-1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas derives primarily from functionally anergic CD4(+) TILs in the presence of PD-L1(+) TAMs. Cancer Res. 2017 Nov;77(22):6365-74.   DOI
22 Haddad R, Blumenschein G Jr, Fayette J, Guigay J, Colevas AD, Licitra L, et al. Treatment beyond progression with nivolumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in the phase 3 checkmate 141 study: a biomarker analysis and updated clinical outcomes. Ann Oncol. 2017 Sep;28(suppl 5). https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdx374.001.
23 Zhao M, Li Y, Wei X, Zhang Q, Jia H, Quan S, et al. Negative immune factors might predominate local tumor immune status and promote carcinogenesis in cervical carcinoma. Virol J. 2017 Jan;14(1):5.   DOI
24 Huang TT, Su JC, Liu CY, Shiau CW, Chen KF. Alteration of SHP-1/p-STAT3 signaling: a potential target for anticancer therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Jun;18(6):1234.   DOI
25 Concha-Benavente F, Ferris RL. Reversing EGFR mediated immunoescape by targeted monoclonal antibody therapy. Front Pharmacol. 2017 May;8:332.   DOI
26 Li CW, Lim SO, Xia W, Lee HH, Chan LC, Kuo CW, et al. Glycosylation and stabilization of programmed death ligand-1 suppresses T-cell activity. Nat Commun. 2016 Aug;7:12632.   DOI
27 Muller T, Braun M, Dietrich D, Aktekin S, Hoft S, Kristiansen G, et al. PD-L1: a novel prognostic biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncotarget. 2017 May;8(32):52889-900.
28 Yearley JH, Gibson C, Yu N, Moon C, Murphy E, Juco J, et al. PD-L2 expression in human tumors: relevance to anti-PD-1 therapy in cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2017 Jun;23(12):3158-67.   DOI
29 Seiwert TY, Burtness B, Mehra R, Weiss J, Berger R, Eder JP, et al. Safety and clinical activity of pembrolizumab for treatment of recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (KEYNOTE-012): an open-label, multicentre, phase 1b trial. Lancet Oncol. 2016 Jul;17(7):956-65.   DOI
30 Segal NH, Ou SH, Balmanoukian AS, Massarelli E, Brahmer JR, Weiss J, et al. Updated safety and efficacy of durvalumab (MEDI 4736), an anti-PD-L 1 antibody, in patients from a squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) expansion cohort. Ann Oncol. 2016 Oct;27(suppl 6):949.
31 Cohen EE, Harrington KJ, Le Tourneau C, Dinis J, Licitra L, Ahn MJ, et al. Pembrolizumab (pembro) vs standard of care (SOC) for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC): phase 3 KEYNOTE-040 trial. Ann Oncol. 2017 Sep; 28(Suppl 5);v605-49.
32 Machiels JP, Haddad RI, Fayette J, Licitra LF, Tahara M, Vermorken JB, et al. Afatinib versus methotrexate as second-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck progressing on or after platinum-based therapy (LUX-Head & Neck 1): an open-label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2015 May;16(5):583-94.   DOI
33 Blank CU, Haanen JB, Ribas A, Schumacher TN. Cancer immunology: the "cancer immunogram". Science. 2016 May;352(6286):658-60.   DOI
34 Davis RJ, Van Waes C, Allen CT. Overcoming barriers to effective immunotherapy: MDSCs, TAMs, and Tregs as mediators of the immunosuppressive microenvironment in head and neck cancer. Oral Oncol. 2016 Jul;58:59-70.   DOI
35 ClinicalTrials. Pembrolizumab combined with cetuximab for treatment of recurrent/metastatic head & neck squamous cell carcinoma: NCT03082534 [Internet]. Bethesda: U.S. National Library of Medicine; [cited 2018 Mar 26]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03082534?recrs=ab&cond=CETUXIMAB+AND+PEMBROLIZUMAB&rank=1.
36 Chow LQ, Morishima C, Eaton KD, Baik CS, Goulart BH, Anderson LN, et al. Phase Ib trial of the toll-like receptor 8 agonist, motolimod (VTX-2337), combined with cetuximab in patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN. Clin Cancer Res. 2017 May;23(10):2442-50.   DOI
37 Kershaw MH, Devaud C, John LB, Westwood JA, Darcy PK. Enhancing immunotherapy using chemotherapy and radiation to modify the tumor microenvironment. Oncoimmunology. 2013 Sep;2(9): e25962.   DOI
38 Vanpouille-Box C, Formenti SC, Demaria S. Toward precision radiotherapy for use with immune checkpoint blockers. Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Jan;24(2):259-65.   DOI
39 ClinicalTrials. Radiation therapy with durvalumab or cetuximab in treating patients with stage III-IVB head and neck cancer who cannot take cisplatin: NCT03258554 [Internet]. Bethesda: U.S. National Library of Medicine; [cited 2018 Mar 26]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03258554?recrs=ab&cond=CETUXIMAB+AND+DURVALUMAB&rank=2.
40 ClinicalTrials. Cetuximab & Nivolumab in patients with recurrent/metastatic head & neck squamous cell carcinoma: NCT03370276 [Internet]. Bethesda: U.S. National Library of Medicine; [cited 2018 Mar 26]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03370276?recrs=ab&cond=CETUXIMAB+AND+NIVOLUMAB&rank=1.
41 Siano M, Infante G, Resteghini C, Cau MC, Alfieri S, Bergamini C, et al. Outcome of recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer patients after first line platinum and cetuximab therapy. Oral Oncol. 2017 Jun;69:33-7.   DOI
42 al-Sarraf M, Martz K, Herskovic A, Leichman L, Brindle JS, Vaitkevicius VK, et al. Progress report of combined chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone in patients with esophageal cancer: an intergroup study. J Clin Oncol. 1997 Jan;15(1):277-84.   DOI
43 Bonner JA, Harari PM, Giralt J, Cohen RB, Jones CU, Sur RK, et al. Radiotherapy plus cetuximab for locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer: 5-year survival data from a phase 3 randomised trial, and relation between cetuximab-induced rash and survival. Lancet Oncol. 2010 Jan;11(1):21-8.   DOI
44 Vermorken JB, Mesia R, Rivera F, Remenar E, Kawecki A, Rottey S, et al. Platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab in head and neck cancer. N Engl J Med. 2008 Sep;359(11):1116-27.   DOI
45 Chow LQ, Haddad R, Gupta S, Mahipal A, Mehra R, Tahara M, et al. Antitumor activity of pembrolizumab in biomarker-unselected patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: results from the phase Ib KEYNOTE-012 expansion cohort. J Clin Oncol. 2016 Nov;34(32):3838-45.   DOI
46 Ferris RL, Blumenschein G Jr, Fayette J, Guigay J, Colevas AD, Licitra L, et al. Nivolumab for recurrent squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. N Engl J Med. 2016 Nov;375(19):1856-67.   DOI
47 Szturz P, Vermorken JB. Immunotherapy in head and neck cancer: aiming at extreme precision. BMC Med. 2017 Jun;15(1):110.   DOI
48 Lin DC, Meng X, Hazawa M, Nagata Y, Varela AM, Xu L, et al. The genomic landscape of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Nat Genet. 2014 Aug;46(8):866-71.   DOI