Study protocol: phase II study to evaluate the effect of cetuximab monotherapy after immunotherapy with PD-1 inhibitors in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Immunotherapy with programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitors, as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy, is the standard first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer (R/M HNSCC). Unfortunately, there is no established second-line treatment for the many patients who fail immunotherapy. Cetuximab is the only targeted therapy approved in HNSCC but historically has a low response rate of 13%.

Objectives

We hypothesize that cetuximab monotherapy following an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) will lead to increased efficacy due to a potential synergistic effect on the antitumor immune response, as a result of activation effects of both treatments on innate and adaptative immune responses. To the authors' knowledge,

SUBMITTER: Burcher KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10799583 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature