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The addition of neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab to standard-of-care therapy significantly improved event-free survival over the standard of care alone for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer in the phase III KEYNOTE-689 trial, according to results presented at the American...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the humanized IgG1 monoclonal anti–PD-1 antibody penpulimab-kcqx with cisplatin or carboplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adults with recurrent or metastatic nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The FDA also...
In a Dutch trial (UPGRADE-RT) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, van den Bosch et al found that definitive radiotherapy with reduced-dose elective neck irradiation was safe and effective compared with standard-dose elective neck irradiation in patients with head and neck squamous cell...
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) updated its testing guideline to capture new research and emerging technologies to improve the diagnostic accuracy of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, according to a guideline update published by Lewis et al in...
In a single-center study reported in JAMA Network Open, Alsavaf et al attempted to identify patient characteristics and treatment outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the United States, a nonendemic region of the disease. Study Details The retrospective cohort study included patients with...
Current standard chemoradiation therapy remains the most effective treatment for selected patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer, based on the results of the NRG-HN005 trial. Researchers have halted this large, randomized phase II/III trial after patients in the...
In a single-center phase II trial (DEPEND) reported in JAMA Oncology, Rosenberg et al found that the combination of neoadjuvant nivolumab and chemotherapy followed by response-stratified chemoradiation (CRT) was active in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative stage IVa/b head and neck squamous cell...
When combined with a novel lipid formulation, a natural citrus essential oil from oranges, lemons, and limes—known as limonene—may prove to be effective in relieving xerostomia without significant adverse effects among patients with cancer, according to a recent study published by Wright et al in...
A combination of two immunotherapies may improve treatment response among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas compared with just one immunotherapy drug, according to a recent study published by Li et al in Cancer Cell. Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas occur in the...
Combining the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab and chemotherapy, and following that regimen with response-adapted chemoradiation, may an effective treatment for advanced human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Rosenberg et al in...
A large proportion of individuals may be unaware of the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cancer among men, according to a recent consumer survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research...
In a Singaporean phase II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Chong et al found that the addition of bevacizumab to pembrolizumab improved objective response rate in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Study Details In the open-label trial, 48...
In a phase III trial (NRG/RTOG 0920) reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Machtay et al found that the addition of cetuximab to postoperative radiotherapy significantly improved disease-free survival—but not overall survival—in patients with completely resected, intermediate-risk, squamous...
Durvalumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, has shown activity in treating a wide range of cancers and has been proposed as a potentially safer and more effective option than cetuximab, according to Loren K. Mell, MD, Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical and Translational Research at University of ...
Alan Ho, MD, PhD, recently presented updated results from a phase II trial evaluating the combination of an HPV16-targeted investigational immunotherapeutic agent eseba-vec (previously known as HB-200) and the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab as first-line therapy for human papillomavirus type 16...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Mell et al, the phase II/III NRG-HN004 trial of radiotherapy with durvalumab or cetuximab in patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and contraindications for cisplatin was stopped for futility during phase II; the phase III...
Hai-Qiang Mai, MD, of the Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues reported their findings from a single-center phase II trial in The Lancet Oncology.1 They found that the addition of perioperative toripalimab to concurrent...
In a phase II trial (EV-202) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Swiecicki et al found that the antibody-drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin showed activity in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer (HNC). Study Details In the study, 46 patients who...
The alternative use of the monoclonal antibody cetuximab during the shortage of cisplatin in the treatment of head and neck cancer resulted in a 16% total cost increase, leading to a 144-fold increase in costs at the administrative level, impacting payer costs and patient cost-sharing amounts....
Many patients with head and neck cancer may lack equal opportunity to access experimental treatments in clinical trials or receive treatments that were shown to be effective in similar patients, according to a recent study published by Zuckerman and Edwards in Head & Neck. Background Millions...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Nichols et al, final results of the phase II ORATOR trial indicate some differences in toxicity and quality of life between radiotherapy and transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, with both approaches yielding similar...
Deintensified treatment involving a lower radiation dose and immunotherapy in place of chemotherapy may not perform as well as a more rigorous chemoradiation treatment approach in patients with early-stage human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer, according to new findings...
On September 27, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted traditional approval to selpercatinib (Retevmo) for adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older with advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer with a RET mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test, who require...
The alternative use of the monoclonal antibody cetuximab during the shortage of cisplatin in the treatment of head and neck cancer resulted in a 16% total cost increase, leading to a 144-fold increase in costs at the administrative level, impacting payer costs and patient cost-sharing amounts,...
Researchers have found that chemotherapy prior to surgery may reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed in patients with advanced nasal and paranasal sinus squamous cell carcinoma, according to recent findings presented by Saba et al at the European Society for Medical Oncology...
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an aggressive malignant head and neck cancer that is highly prevalent in the southern and southwestern provinces of China. Although the incidence of the cancer is less than 1 per 100,000 in Europe, the United States, and the Pacific,1 data from the International Agency...
In a study reported in JAMA Network Open, Sun et al analyzed survival outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment used in first- or second-line therapy, with treatment continuation vs discontinuation, and with treatment rechallenge in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and...
Researchers have examined whether a mouthwash-based test could detect biomarkers to help physicians predict disease recurrence in patients with head and neck cancer, according to a recent study published by Franzmann et al in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. Background Head and neck...
In a study reported in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, Gallagher et al found that individuals with cannabis-related disorder were at an increased risk of head and neck cancer vs those without cannabis-related disorder. Cannabis-related disorders are defined by the excessive use of...
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare and aggressive malignant head and neck cancer that is highly prevalent in the southern and southwestern provinces of China. Although the incidence of the cancer is less than 1 per 100,000 in Europe, the United States, and the Pacific, data from the International...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Marcin Dzienis, MD, and colleagues, the phase IV KEYNOTE-B10 trial of pembrolizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel in the first-line treatment of recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) showed that the regimen produced...
Researchers have developed new imaging guidelines, representing a major shift in the management of patients with head and neck cancers, according to a study published by Henson et al in The Lancet Oncology. The guidelines may lay the foundation for these patients to be treated with tailored...
Based on the results of the Chinese multicenter phase III CONTINUUM trial, which were reported in The Lancet by Liu et al, the addition of the PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab to standard chemoradiotherapy seemed to improve event-free survival—albeit with more frequent but manageable adverse events—in...
In a single-center phase I/II trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Douglas Adkins, MD, and colleagues found that the recommended phase II dose of ramucirumab combined with pembrolizumab was active in the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell...
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) detailed best practices for using radiation therapy as a stand-alone curative treatment or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy to treat patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma,...
Intensity-modulated proton therapy may achieve similar clinical outcomes and offer significant benefits compared with traditional intensity-modulated radiation therapy in patients with oropharyngeal cancer, according to preliminary data from a multi-institutional phase III trial presented by Frank...
In a phase II study reported in JAMA Oncology, Saba et al found that the addition of nivolumab to intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reirradiation improved progression-free survival in patients with recurrent or second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. ...
On May 15, Roche announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection solution—one of the first of such tests available in the United States. Screening for HPV can help identify women who are at risk of developing cervical cancer so that...
In a single-institution study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Watson et al identified risk factors for osteoradionecrosis of the jaw and developed a classification system for the condition in patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Study Details The study...
Two studies presented at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium added support for the deintensification of radiotherapy in early-stage oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a subtype typically more responsive to therapy compared to...
Glenn J. Hanna, MD, Director, Center for Cancer Therapeutic Innovation (Early Drug Development Program), medical oncologist at the Center for Head & Neck Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, was interviewed for his...
Although so-called liquid biopsies are now helping to determine the need for adjuvant therapy for a number of malignancies, oropharyngeal carcinoma is not yet one of them, according to a prospective pilot study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The investigators evaluated the use of...
A novel MDM2 inhibitor has demonstrated antitumor activity in progressive salivary cancer, particularly adenoid cystic carcinoma, according to data presented at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. Results of the phase I/II trial showed an overall response rate of 13% and a...
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Jean-Pascal Machiels, MD, and colleagues, the phase III KEYNOTE-412 trial showed no significant improvement in event-free survival with the addition of pembrolizumab to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in newly diagnosed patients with high-risk locally advanced...
TG4050, a personalized neoantigen vaccine, induced tumor-specific immune responses and led to low rates of disease relapse in patients with surgically resected human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), according to results reported at the American Association...
Marcin R. Dzienis, MBBS, of Australia’s Gold Coast University Hospital, discusses the final analysis of KEYNOTE-B10, a phase IV study in which patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) received a first-line combination regimen of pembrolizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel. The regimen demonstrated durable antitumor activity, irrespective of patients’ PD-L1 status (Abstract 3).
In a retrospective review reported in The Lancet Oncology, Gharzai et al identified intermediate clinical endpoints that may serve as surrogates for overall survival in trials assessing definitive treatment of patients with p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Study Details The...
The use of imaging midtreatment for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma may guide the use of deintensified chemoradiotherapy, according to a phase II study from the University of Michigan presented by Regan et al at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck...
A novel MDM2 inhibitor, APG-115 (alrizomadlin), has demonstrated antitumor activity and good tolerability in patients with progressive salivary cancer, particularly adenoid cystic carcinoma, according to data presented by Swiecicki et al at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium ...
Dan P. Zandberg, MD, of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, discusses study results showing that, although efficacy was low with both nivolumab plus ipilimumab and nivolumab plus relatlimab in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC), selected patients had a numerically higher disease control rate, with a longer duration of stable disease (Abstract 4).