Early on-treatment C-reactive protein and its kinetics predict survival and response in recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer patients receiving first-line pembrolizumab.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

First-line immune checkpoint blockade has improved the prognosis of recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC), but response rates remain low. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of CRP and its early kinetics to predict response and survival in R/M HNSCC.

Methods

A total of 87 patients who received first-line pembrolizumab for R/M HNSCC were analyzed. Three-fold cross-validation was used to estimate cut-off points of CRP at baseline and on-treatment (day 40 ± 10). Treatment response and survival were analyzed according to early CRP kinetics. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was used as a benchmark for the prognostic performance of CRP.

Results

On-treatment CRP below 2 mg/dl, 4x the upper limit

SUBMITTER: Haas M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10560194 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature