[¹⁸F]FDG-PET accurately identifies pathological response early upon neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To investigate the utility of [¹⁸F]FDG-PET as an imaging biomarker for pathological response early upon neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) before surgery.

Methods

In the IMCISION trial (NCT03003637), 32 patients with stage II‒IVb HNSCC were treated with neoadjuvant nivolumab with (n = 26) or without (n = 6) ipilimumab (weeks 1 and 3) before surgery (week 5). [¹⁸F]FDG-PET/CT scans were acquired at baseline and shortly before surgery in 21 patients. Images were analysed for SUV_max, SUV_mean, metabolic tumour volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). Major and partial pathological responses (MPR and PPR, respectively) to immunotherapy were identifie

SUBMITTER: Vos JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9016016 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature