Immunotherapy Combined With Standard Therapies in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma - A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a deadly disease with a poor prognosis due to late diagnosis and limited treatment options. Immunotherapy (IT) is emerging as a promising approach, especially after the failure of standard of care therapies (STs). The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate whether the addition of IT to STs improves outcomes for patients with HNSCC, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and quality of life (QoL). This review employed the Population Intervention Comparison and Outcome (PICO) framework to identify relevant search terms in electronic databases, and also included supplementary hand searches. Six primary research articles were selected using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) flow chart, and were critically appraised. Data extraction from these studies was conducted, and a meta-analysis was performed to aid in the generation of forest plots. The addition of IT to standard anticancer therapies was found to enhance patient outcomes, such as OS, PFS, and QoL. The toxicity profile of IT was acceptable, with minimal treatment-related deaths. The most frequently observed adverse events (AE) were related to the skin, followed by hematological toxicities. Based on our analysis, the addition of IT to STs is a suitable treatment option and is supported by current research. However, further studies are needed to investigate factors that influence treatment effectiveness and to develop optimal therapies. To achieve this, we recommend a comprehensive treatment approach that involves the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and patient assessment tools.

Keywords: Head and neck cancer; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; immunotherapy; quality of life; review; standard therapies; survival.