scholarly journals Immunotherapy Advances in Locally Advanced and Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Its Relationship With Human Papillomavirus

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huanhuan Wang ◽  
Qin Zhao ◽  
Yuyu Zhang ◽  
Qihe Zhang ◽  
Zhuangzhuang Zheng ◽  
...  

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) account for the most cases of HNC. Past smoking and alcohol consumption are common risk factors of HNSCC; however, an increasing number of cases associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection have been reported in recent years. The treatment of HNSCC is integrated and multimodal including traditional surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Since pembrolizumab was approved in 2016, an increasing number of studies have focused on immunotherapy. However, not all of HNSCC patients have a better outcome on immunotherapy. Immunotherapy has been reported to be more effective in HPV-positive patients, but its molecular mechanism is still unclear. Some researchers have proposed that the high proportion of infiltrating immune cells in HPV-positive tumors and the difference in immune checkpoint expression level may be the reasons for their better response. As a result, a series of individualized immunotherapy trials have also been conducted in HPV-positive patients. This paper summarizes the current status of HNSCC immunotherapy, individualized immunotherapy in HPV-positive patients, and immune differences in HPV-positive tumors to provide new insights into HNSCC immunotherapy and try to identify patients who may benefit from immunotherapy.

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
Ashraf I. Khasawneh ◽  
Nisreen Himsawi ◽  
Jumana Abu-Raideh ◽  
Muna Salameh ◽  
Niveen Abdullah ◽  
...  

Background: In addition to smoking and alcohol consumption, human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading etiology for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). However, this causal association is still understudied in Middle Eastern populations. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV-associated infection in the Jordanian HNSCC patients and the associated HPV genotypes. Methods: Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) squamous cell carcinoma samples of the head and neck were collected from two referral centers in Amman, Jordan to determine the existence of HPV DNA. After DNA extraction HPV infection and genotyping were identified using real-time PCR. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 19 out of 61 (31.1%) HNSCC samples. Despite screening for 28 different genotypes, HPV 16 was the only genotype identified in all examined samples. Most HPV-positive samples were obtained from the oropharynx (41.7%), oral cavity (37%), and larynx (18.2%). No significant association between HPV 16 genotype and age, sex, tobacco use, anatomical location, or tumor grade was noticed. Conclusion: This study reported a high association between HPV 16 genotype and HNSCC in Jordanian patients. These data should facilitate the implementation of appropriate HPV awareness campaigns, and activate selective prophylactic measures against HPV infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 030006052110225
Author(s):  
Chloé Molimard ◽  
Virginie L’Huillier ◽  
Alexis Overs ◽  
Christine Soret ◽  
Marie-Paule Algros ◽  
...  

Objectives Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which is currently increasing worldwide. We evaluated the prevalence of HPV DNA and p16 expression in HNSCC patients age <45 years compared with patients aged ≥45 years. Methods Thirty-nine patients aged <45 years who presented at Besançon University Hospital with HNSCC since 2005 were included in this retrospective study. HPV DNA was detected by HPV genotyping and p16 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded tissues. A matched-group of 38 patients aged ≥45 years from Besançon University Hospital was included. Results The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 11.7%. HPV16 was the only genotype detected in 4/39 and 5/38 patients, and p16 was expressed in 6/39 and 4/38 patients aged <45 years and ≥45 years, respectively. Conclusions HPV-positivity and p16 expression were similar in both age groups. The results suggest that p16 immunohistochemistry may provide a prognosis biomarker for all HNSCCs, not only oropharyngeal cancers, and this should be addressed in large clinical trials.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3038
Author(s):  
Mickaël Burgy ◽  
Aude Jehl ◽  
Ombline Conrad ◽  
Sophie Foppolo ◽  
Véronique Bruban ◽  
...  

The EGFR-targeting antibody cetuximab (CTX) combined with radiotherapy is the only targeted therapy that has been proven effective for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC). Recurrence arises in 50% of patients with HNSCC in the years following treatment. In clinicopathological practice, it is difficult to assign patients to classes of risk because no reliable biomarkers are available to predict the outcome of HPV-unrelated HNSCC. In the present study, we investigated the role of Caveolin-1 (Cav1) in the sensitivity of HNSCC cell lines to CTX-radiotherapy that might predict HNSCC relapse. Ctrl- and Cav-1-overexpressing HNSCC cell lines were exposed to solvent, CTX, or irradiation, or exposed to CTX before irradiation. Growth, clonogenicity, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, metabolism and signaling pathways were analyzed. Cav1 expression was analyzed in 173 tumor samples and correlated to locoregional recurrence and overall survival. We showed that Cav1-overexpressing cells demonstrate better survival capacities and remain proliferative and motile when exposed to CTX-radiotherapy. Resistance is mediated by the Cav1/EREG/YAP axis. Patients whose tumors overexpressed Cav1 experienced regional recurrence a few years after adjuvant radiotherapy ± chemotherapy. Together, our observations suggest that a high expression of Cav1 might be predictive of locoregional relapse of LA-HNSCC.


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