PD-L1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance: A prospective observational...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Head and Neck Cancer Research

Background:

• Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor cells influences anti-tumor immunity.
• PD-L1 targeted therapies show promise, but data from India on Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is limited.
• This study investigates PD-L1 expression and its clinical correlations in Indian HNSCC patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of PD-L1 expression in HNSCC patients from Eastern India.
• To analyze the association between PD-L1 expression and clinic-pathological parameters.
• To evaluate the impact of PD-L1 expression on overall survival in HNSCC.

Main Methods:

• Prospective evaluation of 71 HNSCC patients over 2.5 years.
• PD-L1 expression measured in tumor tissues using SP-263 and 22C3 assays.
• PD-L1 expression categorized as <1% (negative), 1-19% (low), and ≥20% (high) and correlated with patient data.

Main Results:

• PD-L1 positivity observed in 71.8% of HNSCC patients.
• Higher PD-L1 positivity was significant in patients younger than 50 years (P=0.01).
• No significant association found between PD-L1 expression and gender, tobacco use, tumor grade, or stage.
• Overall survival was significantly better in PD-L1 positive patients (31 months) compared to negative patients (24 months; P=0.03).

Conclusions:

• A high prevalence (72%) of PD-L1 positivity was found in this Indian HNSCC cohort.
• PD-L1 expression was not linked to demographic or aggressive pathological features.
• Positive PD-L1 expression may correlate with improved overall survival in HNSCC.