Novel Immunotherapeutic Approaches to Treating HPV-Related Head and Neck Cancer

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Nabil Saba, Emory University; Saagar Pamulapati, Mercyhealth; Bhamini Patel, Emory University; Mayur Mody, AdventHealth Medical Group; Primož Strojan, Institute of Oncology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Robert Takes, Radboud University Nijmegen; Antti AA Mäkitie, University of Helsinki; Oded Cohen, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Soroka Medical Center; Pia Pace-Asciak, University of Toronto; Jan BB Vermorken, Antwerp University Hospital; Carol Bradford, Ohio State University; Arlene Forastiere, Johns Hopkins University; Yong Teng, Emory University; Andreas Wieland, Emory University; Alfio Ferlito, Head and Neck Scientific Group
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-04-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers15071959
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: CANCERS
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 7
• Grant/Funding Information: This research received no external funding.
• Keywords: HPV; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA; OPEN-LABEL; Oncology; SINGLE-ARM; DOSE CISPLATIN; PLUS CETUXIMAB; T-CELLS; POSITIVE HEAD; immunotherapy; METASTATIC HEAD; human papillomavirus; immuno-oncology; HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS HPV; vaccine therapy; Science & Technology; OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Oncology

Abstract

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common malignancy, with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) accounting for a majority of cases in the western world. While HNC accounts for only 5% of all cancers in the United States, the incidence of a subset of OPSCC caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) is increasing rapidly. The treatment for OPSCC is multifaceted, with a recently emerging focus on immunotherapeutic approaches. With the increased incidence of HPV-related OPSCC and the approval of immunotherapy in the management of recurrent and metastatic HNC, there has been rising interest in exploring the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of HPV-related OPSCC specifically. The immune microenvironment in HPV-related disease is distinct from that in HPV-negative OPSCC, which has prompted further research into various immunotherapeutics. This review focuses on HPV-related OPSCC, its immune characteristics, and current challenges and future opportunities for immunotherapeutic applications in this virus-driven cancer.