ArticleActa oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)2025
Pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a multi-institutional DAHANCA cohort study.
Article in Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled 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
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
background and purposePembrolizumab is frequently used for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (rmHNSCC) as first-line treatment. This study evaluates real-world effectiveness in a Danish and United Kingdom (UK) cohort. Patient/material and methods: Patients with confirmed rmHNSCC treated with pembrolizumab (2020-2024) as first-line palliative treatment were included consecutively. Data were collected from patient files at four Danish head and neck cancer centres (discovery cohort) and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (comparison cohort). Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
resultsIn the discovery cohort (n = 228), a median OS of 10 months (95% [confidence interval [CI]: 10-12) and median PFS of 4 months (95% CI: 4-6) were found. Primary endpoints did not differ significantly between the discovery and comparison cohort. Baseline World Health Organization performance status appeared to negatively impact endpoints (hazard ratio: 1.4 [95% CI: 1.0-2.0]).
interpretationIn this real-world multi-centre study, pembrolizumab demonstrated efficacy equivalent to the registration studies in two independent cohorts.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.