Addition of Perioperative Pembrolizumab to Standard of Care in Newly Diagnosed Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

1. KEYNOTE-689 trial shows perioperative pembrolizumab improves event-free survival and major pathologic response in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

2. Potential for new neoadjuvant immunotherapy approaches to eliminate surgery in select patients.

3. Overall survival data did not reach statistical significance at the first interim analysis.

4. 714 patients with resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled in the trial.

5. Pembrolizumab followed by surgery and adjuvant pembrolizumab establishes a new standard of care.