Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in the Management of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Christopher Guirguis1, Lauren Ching1, Mariana Phillips2,3

  • 1Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.

Skin Therapy Letter
|December 10, 2025
PubMed

Immunotherapy has shown promise in treating locally advanced, recurrent, and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. More recently, studies have shown the role of immunotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment in advanced disease for which surgery may not be curative or would be expected to result in functional or cosmetic morbidity. This paper reviews data showing the safety and efficacy of cemiplimab as neoadjuvant treatment in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Early findings suggest that neoadjuvant immunotherapy may help improve surgical outcomes by reducing tumor burden before resection.

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