Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Cancers that Affect the Head and Neck

In this Oncology Scan from the Head and Neck cancer group (1, 2) we review landmark articles that appeared in 2016 on the role of immune checkpoint inhibition in cancers that affect the head and neck (3-6). These articles are the first to provide data on the possibility of long-term survival using PD-1 pathway inhibitors in metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and Merkel cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that involves the head and neck in over 40% of cases. These articles draw attention to the intrinsic differences in response to immunotherapy between virus-associated and virus-unassociated disease and the utility of predictive biomarkers.

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