Moving towards the Future of Radio-Immunotherapy: Could We “Tailor” the Abscopal Effect on Head and Neck Cancer Patients?

The abscopal effect (AbE) is defined as radiation-induced shrinkage of distant, non-treated, neoplastic lesions and it is considered the best clinical picture of the efficient immune stimulation by irradiation. The first report about abscopal tumor regression upon radiotherapy dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The growing preclinical and clinical synergism between radiation and immunotherapy gave birth the purpose to more easily reproduce the abscopal effect, nevertheless, it is still rare in clinical practice. In this review we summarize immunological modulation of radiotherapy, focusing on the well-balanced equilibrium of tumor microenvironment and how radio-immunotherapy combinations can perturb it, with particular attention on head and neck squamous cell cancer. Finally, we investigate future perspectives, with the aim to “tailor” the abscopal effect to the patient.

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EGR-1 Regulates Radiation-Induced Apoptosis in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

Otolaryngology ◽

10.1177/0194599814541629a80 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 151 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. P162-P163

Author(s):

Wan Seok Cho ◽

Jae Hun Lee ◽

Tae Mi Yoon

Keyword(s):

Head And Neck ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Squamous Cell Cancer ◽

Cell Cancer ◽

Human Head ◽

Radiation Induced ◽

Induced Apoptosis ◽

Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

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Cancer Stem Cells in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2007.15.1613 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 26 (17) ◽

pp. 2871-2875 ◽

Cited By ~ 126

Author(s):

Mark E.P. Prince ◽

Laurie E. Ailles

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Cancer Stem Cells ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Radiation Treatment ◽

Squamous Cell Cancer ◽

Tumor Regression ◽

Cell Cancer ◽

Cell Subpopulation ◽

Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

Appropriate treatment of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) remains one of the most difficult challenges in head and neck oncology. Overall survival of patients with HNSCC remains at approximately 50% at 5 years. Surgical therapy can be mutilating and often has significant effects on swallowing, speech, and physical appearance. The addition of chemotherapy to radiation treatment has shown efficacy in organ preservation in some sites in the head and neck, but has resulted in limited improvement in survival rates. HNSCC resistance to chemotherapy has limited the usefulness of chemotherapy in the treatment of this disease. We have recently demonstrated that human head and neck squamous cell cancers contain a tumorigenic, so-called cancer stem cell, subpopulation of cells that can self-renew and produce differentiated cells that form the bulk of the tumor. These tumorigenic HNSCC cells have a distinct phenotype and can be identified by a surface marker. Current treatment for HNSCC regimens may selectively kill the differentiated cancer cells, producing tumor regression while sparing the cancer stem cells, leading to tumor regrowth and relapse. It is important for us to understand why HNSCC does not respond to chemotherapy and to identify new targeted treatments that can overcome resistance and improve patient outcomes. Further study of HNSCC stem cells will increase our knowledge of this devastating disease and allow us to develop novel treatments.

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