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Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
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Delayed Response After Confirmed Progression (DR) and Other Unique Immunotherapy-Related Treatment Concepts in

Annette M Lim1,2, Karda Cavanagh3, Rodney J Hicks4

  • 1Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Frontiers in Oncology
|May 3, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, like PD-1 blockade, are revolutionizing treatment for advanced skin cancers. Researchers identified a new phenomenon, "delayed response after confirmed progression," offering new insights into immunotherapy effectiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • Non-melanoma skin cancers are highly prevalent globally, particularly in Australia and New Zealand.
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 have transformed systemic therapy for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas.
  • Managing these cancers presents unique challenges, including interpreting treatment responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight distinct treatment issues in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
  • To describe a novel phenomenon termed "delayed response after confirmed progression (DR)" observed during immunotherapy.
  • To discuss the broader implications of immunotherapy in treating this disease.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical cases and treatment responses in patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma receiving PD-1 blockade.
  • Analysis of immune-specific response criteria and patient outcomes.
  • Characterization of pseudoprogression and delayed responses.

Main Results:

  • The study expands the concept of pseudoprogression and identifies delayed responses even after disease progression is confirmed.
  • This "delayed response after confirmed progression (DR)" phenomenon was observed in patients with and without clinical deterioration.
  • Heterogeneous disease responses, development of second primary tumors, and evolving immunotherapy applications were noted.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding delayed responses is crucial for optimizing immunotherapy in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
  • The application of immunotherapy is expanding, necessitating a re-evaluation of treatment response criteria.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms and clinical significance of DR.
Keywords:
PD-1 inhibitioncutaneous squamous carcinomaimmunotherapypseudoprogressionsecond primary tumors (SPTs)

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