Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42471483›Full record

Trial reportBritish journal of cancer2026

OPTIM: a randomized phase II trial of nivolumab followed by nivolumab-ipilimumab or docetaxel at progression in recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (OPTIM; AIO-KHT-0117).

Viktor Grünwald, Jürgen Alt, Mareike Tometten, Mathias Hänel, Philipp Ivanyi, Gunter Schuch, Konrad Klinghammer, Kerstin Gutsche, Justin Hasenkamp, Gunnar Hapke and 3 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in British journal of cancer, 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

13 authors.

Viktor GrünwaldCarolus Institute of Urologic Oncology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany. viktor.gruenwald@uk-essen.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2083-7687
Jürgen AltIII. Med. Klinik u. Poliklinik, University Hospital Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Mareike TomettenDepartment of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Mathias HänelInternal Medicine, Hospital Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany.
Philipp IvanyiDept. Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology & Stem Cell Transpl., Medical School Hanover, Hanover, Germany.
Gunter SchuchHematology and Oncology Practice Altona, Hamburg, Germany.
Konrad KlinghammerDept. Medical Oncology, Charite, Berlin, Germany.
Kerstin GutscheAmbulatory Center for Hematology and Oncology, Cottbus, Germany.
Justin HasenkampClinic for Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medicine Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
Gunnar HapkeHematology and Oncology, Marien Hospital, Hamburg, Germany.
Martin MänzCorbin, Berlin, Germany.
Carolin MoglerInstitute of Pathology, Techincal University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Dennis HahnHematology and Oncology Department, Hospital Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTreatment options after PD-1 inhibition for recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M-SCCHN) remain limited. We investigated whether staggered immune checkpoint inhibition could improve outcomes compared with docetaxel in nivolumab-refractory disease.

methodsIn this randomized phase II trial, adults with platinum-refractory R/M-SCCHN received nivolumab and were randomized at progression to nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks plus ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks (NIVO-IPI) or docetaxel 75 mg/m² every 3 weeks (DOCE) until progression or intolerance. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST 1.1; progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety were secondary endpoints. PD-L1 expression was assessed in all patients.

resultsAmong 14 patients in the NIVO-IPI arm and 17 in the DOCE arm, ORR was 0% versus 17.6%, median PFS was 1.97 versus 3.66 months (P = 0.036), and median OS was 3.97 versus 11.9 months (P = 0.356), respectively. Twelve-month OS rates were 28.6% and 44.6%. Outcomes were similar irrespective of PD-L1 status. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 84.6% versus 81.3% of patients, with grade ≥3 events in 38.5% and 68.8%.

conclusionsNIVO-IPI did not improve efficacy over docetaxel and showed numerically inferior survival, whereas docetaxel was associated with greater toxicity. CLINICAL

trial registrationEudraCT Nr. 2017-003349-14.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsDocetaxelHead and Neck NeoplasmsIpilimumabNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalNivolumabSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckAdultAgedDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedDocetaxelIpilimumabNivolumab

Identifiers

PMID42471483
PMCPMC13642908

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.