Progress in immunotherapy for resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The resection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC) is linked to elevated recurrence rates, and the effectiveness of conventional adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has plateaued. Recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have achieved significant advancements in perioperative therapy. This report conducts a systematic review of four principal studies: ① The KEYNOTE-689 trial was the inaugural study to establish that "pembrolizumab combined with standard therapy" diminishes the risk of disease progression or mortality by 34% in patients with Programmed Cell Death-L1(PD-L1) CPS ≥ 10, resulting in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval; ② The NIVOPOSTOP trial revealed that adjuvant nivolumab alongside CRT significantly improved 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) (63.1% vs. 52.5%), with efficacy unaffected by PD-L1 status; ③ The C-POST trial indicated a substantial DFS advantage with adjuvant cemiplimab in high-risk skin squamous cell carcinoma (HR = 0.32);④ The NeoRTPC02 trial innovatively integrated low-dose radiotherapy with immune chemotherapy, achieving a pathological complete response(pCR) rate of 60.9%. Nonetheless, the ideal treatment approach, strategies for reducing radiation dosage, preservation of organ function, and selection of biomarkers necessitate additional confirmation. Future efforts must focus on interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance tailored precision treatment protocols, aiming to improve the 5-year survival rate of HNSCC while maintaining organ function and quality of life.