Implementation of double immune checkpoint blockade increases response rate to induction chemotherapy in head and neck cancer

Semrau S, Gostian AO, Traxdorf M, Eckstein M, Rutzner S, von der Grün J, Illmer T, Hautmann M, Klautke G, Laban S, Brunner T, Tamaskovics B, Frey B, Zhou J, Geppert CI, Hartmann A, Balermpas P, Budach W, Gaipl U, Iro H, Fietkau R, Hecht M (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Cancers MDPI

Book Volume: 13

Article Number: 1959

Journal Issue: 8

DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081959

Abstract

To determine whether a single dose of double immune checkpoint blockade (induction chemoimmunotherapy (ICIT)) adds benefit to induction single-cycle platinum doublet (induction chemotherapy (IC)) in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), patients treated with cisplatin 30 mg/m2 d1-3 and docetaxel 75 mg/m2 d1 combined with durvalumab 1500 mg fixed dose d5 and tremelimumab 75 mg fixed dose d5 (ICIT) within the CheckRad-CD8 trial were compared with a retrospective cohort receiving the same chemotherapy (IC) without immunotherapy. The endpoint of this analysis was the complete response rate (CR). A total of 53 patients were treated with ICIT and 104 patients with IC only. CR rates were 60.3% for ICIT and 40.3% for IC (p = 0.018). In the total population (n = 157), the most important predictor to achieve a CR was treatment type (OR: 2.21 for ICIT vs. IC; p = 0.038, multivariate analysis). The most diverse effects in CR rates between ICIT and IC were observed in younger (age ≤ 60) patients with HPV-positive OPSCCs (82% vs. 33%, p = 0.176), while there was no difference in older patients without HPV-positive OPSCCs (53% vs. 48%). The analysis provides initial evidence that ICIT could result in higher CR rates than IC. Young patients with HPV-positive OPSCCs may have the greatest benefit from additional immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sabine Semrau Medizinische Fakultät Maximilian Traxdorf Lehrstuhl für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde Markus Eckstein Institute of Pathology Sandra Rutzner Department of Radiation Oncology Benjamin Frey Department of Radiation Oncology Jianguo Zhou Department of Radiation Oncology Carol-Immanuel Geppert Institute of Pathology Arndt Hartmann Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine Pathologie und Pathologische Anatomie Udo Gaipl Department of Radiation Oncology Heinrich Iro Lehrstuhl für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde Rainer Fietkau Lehrstuhl für Strahlentherapie Markus Hecht Department of Radiation Oncology

Involved external institutions

Universität Regensburg DE Germany (DE) Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg DE Germany (DE) Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main DE Germany (DE) Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Ulm DE Germany (DE) Klinikum Chemnitz DE Germany (DE) Onkozentrum Dresden/Freiberg DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Semrau, S., Gostian, A.O., Traxdorf, M., Eckstein, M., Rutzner, S., von der Grün, J.,... Hecht, M. (2021). Implementation of double immune checkpoint blockade increases response rate to induction chemotherapy in head and neck cancer. Cancers, 13(8). https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers13081959

MLA:

Semrau, Sabine, et al. "Implementation of double immune checkpoint blockade increases response rate to induction chemotherapy in head and neck cancer." Cancers 13.8 (2021).

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