Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including inhibitors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have demonstrated prominent clinical benefits in a variety of cancers and have been rapidly applied to treat a variety of carcinomas such as melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, and head and neck cancer.
This study compared the results from PD-L1 expression level analysis across four immunohistochemistry platforms (Dako Autostainer Link 48, Dako Omnis, Leica Bond-III, and Ventana BenchMark ULTRA) with the 28-8 pharmDx kit in lung cancer (multiple histologies), melanoma, and head and neck cancer (multiple histologies).
In this heavily pre-treated advanced HNC cohort, atezolizumab had a tolerable safety profile and encouraging activity, with responses observed regardless of HPV status and PD-L1 expression level.
Anti-PD-1 (pembrolizumab, nivolumab) and anti-PD-L1 antibodies (atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab) have been approved for treatment of several other advanced malignancies, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC); renal cell, and urothelial carcinoma; head and neck cancer; gastric, hepatocellular, and Merkel-cell carcinoma; and classical Hodgkin lymphoma.
Here we provide a systematic review with comprehensive depth on the application of anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibodies in head and neck cancer treatment: mechanism, drugs, clinical studies, influencing factors, adverse effects and managements, and the potential future developments.
Therefore, blocking the PD-1-PD-L1 axis may be a useful strategy to reverse immune evasion of HNC tumors with high PD-L1 expression during cetuximab therapy by reversing NK cell dysfunction.
The results of meta-analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and OS (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.99-1.53; P = 0.065) or DFS (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.00-2.03; P = 0.052) of HNC patients.
The PD-1/PD-L1 axis and human papilloma virus in patients with head and neck cancer after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy: A multicentre study of the German Cancer Consortium Radiation Oncology Group (DKTK-ROG).
Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint pathway is emerging as a promising immunotherapeutic approach for the management and treatment of head and neck cancer patients who do not respond to 1st/2nd line therapy.
Clinical relevance of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, PD-L1 expression and correlation with HPV/p16 in head and neck cancer treated with bio- or chemo-radiotherapy.
Preclinical immunoPET/CT imaging using Zr-89-labeled anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody for assessing radiation-induced PD-L1 upregulation in head and neck cancer and melanoma.