Pembrolizumab Plus Quad-Shot Radiotherapy for Recurrent, Unresectable, or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

What are the response and survival outcomes for patients with recurrent, unresectable, or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who are treated with pembrolizumab plus low-dose, quad-shot radiotherapy (QSRT)?In this nonrandomized clinical trial of 15 patients who received QSRT, the overall response rate was 47%, median progression-free survival was 9.2 months (95% CI, 3-17), and median overall survival was 14.9 months (95% CI, 5 to not estimable).The trial results suggest that pembrolizumab plus QSRT is feasible and results in favorable response and disease control outcomes, warranting further comparison with pembrolizumab alone.

Corresponding Author: Ryan T. Hughes, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157 (ryan.t.hughes@wfusm.edu).

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