Pathological regression patterns following neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) has drawn considerable attention in Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) owing to its potential in functional preservation and treatment-failure reduction. Yet whether the surgical extent can be narrowed following NACI is largely debatable due to a potential non-centripetal tumor regression may result in scattered microfoci residing beyond the narrowed margin. In this pilot study, we characterized the tumor regression pattern in a post-NACI HNSCC cohort using a whole-mount histopathological approach. The MRI examinations before and after NACI were used to evaluate the objective response rate (ORR). Of the 52 patients enrolled, the ORR was 75%. Pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 15.4%, and the major pathological response (MPR) rate w

SUBMITTER: Wang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12364697 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature