ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025
Pathological regression patterns following neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a pilot study.
Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Timing of surgery after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Current evidence, surgical implications, and a research agenda.Oral and maxillofacial surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Reconsidering Surgical Strategy in the Era of Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Visualization of Scattered Tumor Regression Following Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy With a Novel Intraoperative PET/CT Scanner.Head & neck · 2026Article
- Review
- Evaluation of neoadjuvant immunotherapy regimens for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and single-arm and network meta-analysis.International journal of surgery (London, England) · 2026Article
- Integrating clinicopathologic factors with whole-exome sequencing and peripheral immune repertoire sequencing to optimize decision-making in neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for HNSCC.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Advances in immunotherapy for thyroid malignancies: from molecular targets to clinical outcomes.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Perioperative immunotherapy in resectable HNSCC: biological rationale to practical multidisciplinary implementation.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- Prognostic Value of Primary Total Glossectomy in Tongue Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survival Outcomes.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
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11 authors.
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Abstract
Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) has drawn considerable attention in Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) owing to its potential in functional preservation and treatment-failure reduction. Yet whether the surgical extent can be narrowed following NACI is largely debatable due to a potential non-centripetal tumor regression may result in scattered microfoci residing beyond the narrowed margin. Methods: In this pilot study, we characterized the tumor regression pattern in a post-NACI HNSCC cohort using a whole-mount histopathological approach. The MRI examinations before and after NACI were used to evaluate the objective response rate (ORR). Results: Of the 52 patients enrolled, the ORR was 75%. Pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 15.4%, and the major pathological response (MPR) rate was 40.4%. Two major regression patterns were identified in whole-mount tumor sections, centripetal regression and non-centripetal regression. Centripetal regression was observed in 37 patients (71.2%) and was subcategorized into complete regression (Ia, 15.4%), unifocal centripetal regression (Ib, 36.5%), and multifocal centripetal regression (Ic, 19.2%). Non-centripetal regression was seen in 15 patients (28.8%) and was subcategorized into scattered regression (IIa, 25.0%) and non-regression (IIb, 3.8%). Moreover, we found a pre-NACI CPS higher than 20 or post-NACI (18)F-FDG SUVmax reduction exceeding 50% were potential predictive factors for the centripetal regression pattern. Discussion: We revealed for that centripetal regression was the predominant pattern of regression after NACI in HNSCC. Hence, our data presumably supports a reduced surgical extent in post-NACI HNSCC patients. Future studies should focus on identifying accurate predictive factors for the regression pattern, which may eventually assist in risk stratification and surgical decision making. Conclusions: The pattern of tumor pathological regression after NACI for HNSCC is mainly divided into centripetal and non-centripetal regression, with the former accounting for the major portion of the regression.
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