Combined positive score using 28-8 predicts nivolumab efficacy in HNSCC

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Biomarker Research

Background:

• Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is a key biomarker for predicting response to immune checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab.
• Variability in PD-L1 antibody clones and scoring systems complicates its predictive value in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the predictive performance of SP142 and 28-8 PD-L1 antibody clones for nivolumab efficacy in HNSCC.
• To identify the most informative PD-L1 scoring system for guiding treatment decisions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 26 HNSCC patients treated with nivolumab.
• Evaluation of PD-L1 expression using SP142 and 28-8 clones with four scoring systems (TPS, CPS, TC, IC).
• Assessment of associations between PD-L1 indices and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Main Results:

• The SP142 clone showed lower tumor cell (TC) scores and higher immune cell (IC) scores compared to the 28-8 clone.
• No PD-L1 parameters using SP142 were significantly associated with PFS or OS.
• The 28-8 clone's combined positive score (CPS) significantly predicted both improved PFS and OS; TPS and TC scores predicted PFS.

Conclusions:

• Antibody clone selection is critical for accurate PD-L1 assessment in HNSCC.
• The 28-8 clone, particularly using the CPS, demonstrates significant predictive value for nivolumab efficacy.
• 28-8-based CPS is a practical biomarker for optimizing nivolumab treatment selection in HNSCC.