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Review
. 2021 May 10;11(5):393.
doi: 10.3390/jpm11050393.

Immune Check-Point Inhibitors and Standard Chemoradiotherapy in Definitive Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

Francesca De Felice  1 , Daniela Musio  1 , Vincenzo Tombolini  1
Affiliations
Review

Immune Check-Point Inhibitors and Standard Chemoradiotherapy in Definitive Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

Francesca De Felice et al. J Pers Med. .

Abstract

In head and neck cancer management, there is a need for tailored approaches to optimally implement clinical outcomes. Based on the assumption that efficacy and long-term toxicity are not satisfactory for standard concurrent platinum-based chemoradiotherapy, several trials have been designed to test whether induction immunotherapy and/or concomitant immunotherapy and radiotherapy result in improved survival and toxicity outcomes. Here, we present an overview of the most recent concomitant therapeutic strategies for head and neck cancer, focusing on the knowledge available regarding check-point inhibitors. The aim is to present the characteristics of the main check-point inhibitors and to summarize the clinical trials on the combination of immune check-point inhibitors and (chemo)radiotherapy in the definitive HNC setting, in order to provide a useful clinical tool for further research.

Keywords: HPV; check-point inhibitors; chemoradiotherapy; definitive treatment; head neck cancer; immunotherapy; outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram describing the data collection process following the PRISMA convention.
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