Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42370167›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oncology2026

Subsite-specific benefit of induction chemoimmunotherapy in HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Lin Zhu, Die Zhang, Jie Chen, Wei Qian, Peiyao Liu, Chunying Shen, Tingting Xu, Xin Zhou, Xueguan Lu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Lin Zhu *Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Die Zhang *Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Jie Chen *Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Wei QianDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Peiyao LiuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Chunying ShenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Tingting XuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Xin ZhouDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Xueguan LuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate whether the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to induction chemotherapy improves outcomes in HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), and whether efficacy differs by primary tumor subsite. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 99 patients with newly diagnosed HPV-negative OPSCC treated with induction therapy followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy. Patients received induction chemotherapy alone (IC; n = 73) or IC plus ICI (n = 26). Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary end point and overall survival (OS) was secondary. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust for baseline imbalances. Subgroup analyses were performed for base-of-tongue (BOT) and non-BOT tumors. Results: In the overall cohort, IC+ICI was associated with numerically improved PFS and OS, but differences were not statistically significant before or after PSM. In the non-BOT cohort, IC+ICI was associated with significantly improved PFS both before and after PSM. Before matching, 24- and 36-month PFS rates were 100% and 100% with IC+ICI versus 74.0% and 68.9% with IC; after matching, the corresponding rates were 100% and 100% versus 77.0% and 72.9%, respectively. OS did not significantly differ, although outcomes consistently favored IC+ICI. In the BOT cohort, neither PFS nor OS differed significantly between groups. Conclusion: In HPV-negative OPSCC, adding ICI to induction chemotherapy showed numerically favorable but statistically non-significant PFS and OS differences in the overall cohort. Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested a potential immunotherapy-related benefit in patients with non-BOT primary tumors, warranting prospective validation.

Indexed as

definitive chemoradiotherapyHPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomaimmune checkpoint inhibitorsinduction chemotherapyprimary tumor subsite

Identifiers

PMID42370167
PMCPMC13293886

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.