Open AccessProgrammed death 1 (PD‐1) and ligand (PD‐L1) inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Levy Dylan A.,
Patel Jaimin J.,
Nguyen Shaun A.,
Nicholas Jungbauer W.,
Neskey David M.,
Cohen Ezra E. W.,
Paulos Chrystal M.,
Kaczmar John A.,
Knochelmann Hannah M.,
Day Terry A.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
world journal of otorhinolaryngology ‐ head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2589-1081
pISSN - 2095-8811
DOI - 10.1002/wjo2.15
Subject(s) - head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , head and neck , pd l1 , programmed cell death 1 , meta analysis , basal cell , ligand (biochemistry) , oncology , cancer research , medicine , palladium , head and neck cancer , chemistry , receptor , immunotherapy , surgery , cancer , biochemistry , catalysis
Background PD‐1 and PD‐L1 inhibitors have emerged as promising treatments for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods Systematic review and meta‐analysis of PD‐1 and PD‐L1 inhibitors in HNSCC. Outcomes: median overall survival (mOS), median progression‐free survival (mPFS), Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs). Results Eleven trials reported data on 1088 patients (mean age: 59.9 years, range: 18–90). The total mOS was 7.97 months (range: 6.0–16.5). Mean mPFS for all studies was 2.84 months (range: 1.9–6.5). PD‐1 inhibitors had a lower rate of RECIST Progressive Disease than PD‐L1 inhibitors (42.61%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 36.29–49.06 vs. 56.79%, 95% CI: 49.18–64.19, P < 0.001). The rate of TRAEs of any grade (62.7%, 95% CI: 59.8–65.6) did not differ. Conclusions Meta‐analysis shows the efficacy of PD‐1 and PD‐L1 inhibitors in HNSCC and suggests a possible difference in certain RECIST criterion between PD‐1 and PD‐L1 inhibitors. Future work to investigate the clinical significance of these findings is warranted.