Pathologic Response and Survival After Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Resectable Mucosal HNSCC

After neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI), is achieving a pathologic treatment response associated with improved overall and/or disease-free survival in mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)?In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 studies including 368 adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with mucosal HNSCC, both partial pathologic response (≤50% residual viable tumor) and major pathologic response (≤10% residual viable tumor) were associated with improved disease-free survival.These findings suggest that pathologic treatment response may be a possible surrogate end point for disease-free survival in patients receiving neoadjuvant ICI for mucosal HNSCC.

Corresponding Author: Joseph M. Curry, MD, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut St, 6th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (joseph.curry@jefferson.edu).

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