Context.—
There has been increasing interest in understanding the role of programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway in cancer biology and its clinical significance in cancer therapy.
Objective.—
To discuss the studies of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in human papillomavirus–positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, focusing on the pathogenesis of cancer, characterization of the tumor microenvironment, and the effect of such studies in laboratory medicine.
Data sources.—
Data sources included peer-reviewed literature and reputable online sources.
Conclusions.—
To date, there are few studies of PD-1 and PD-L1 in human papillomavirus–positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. There is evidence that the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway has a role in this type of cancer; however, further studies are needed to better characterize the effect of the human papillomavirus and its use as a marker of therapy response.
Evaluation of programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) as tumor biomarkers an in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
