SynthesisCancer medicine2023
Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
Synthesis in Cancer medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adjuvant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Head and Neck Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Phase III Trials.Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of immunotherapy monotherapy versus combination regimens in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in head and neck tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical outcomes and survival benefits.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Evaluating the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in first and second-line treatments for recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of RCTs with a focus on PD-L1 expression.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Pooled it
- Toxicity profiles of immune checkpoint inhibitors for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Cancer medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Cancer medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Review
- Blockade of the PGE2 Pathway Inhibits the Growth of PTEN-Deficient HNSCC Tumors.Molecular cancer therapeutics · 2025Article
- Future investigative directions for novel therapeutic targets in head and neck cancer.Expert review of anticancer therapy · 2024Review
- Cardiovascular adverse events and immune-related adverse events associated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Emerging Targets and Therapeutics in Immuno-Oncology: Insights from Landscape Analysis.Journal of medicinal chemistry · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) showed antitumor activity for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). However, the results from different studies were controversial.
methodsOnline databases were searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating ICIs for R/M HNSCC. The characteristics of the studies and the results of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were extracted.
resultsA total of 4936 patients from eight studies were included. Anti-PD1/PDL1 monotherapy significantly improved OS in total population (hazard ratio, HR, 0.87, 95% CI, 0.79-0.95, p = 0.003) and PD-L1 high expression patients (HR, 0.71, 95% CI, 0.55-0.90, p = 0.006) with significant lower incidence of any grade TRAEs (odds ratio, OR, 0.16, 95% CI, 0.07-0.37, p < 0.00001) and Grades 3-5 TRAEs (OR, 0.18, 95% CI, 0.10-0.33, p < 0.0001) compared with standard of care (SOC); however, the pooled results of PFS and ORR were not significant different. PD1/PDL1 inhibitors plus CTLA4 inhibitors did not improve OS, PFS, ORR compared with SOC or ICIs monotherapy; however, the incidence of Grades 3-5 TRAEs was significant higher compared with ICIs monotherapy (OR, 1.80, 95% CI, 1.34-2.41, p = 0.0001).
conclusionsAnti-PD1/PDL1 monotherapy could improve OS for R/M HNSCC with significant lower incidence of TRAEs compared with SOC. PD1/PDL1 inhibitors plus CTLA4 inhibitors showed no more benefit compared with both SOC and ICIs monotherapy, but the incidence of Grades 3-5 TRAEs was significant higher compared with ICIs monotherapy.
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