Standardization of objectives and response criteria for neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The management of locally-advanced, resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is undergoing a major shift driven by the integration of neoadjuvant immunotherapy (nIO). The rationale for nIO lies in its administration within an immunologically active, treatment-naïve microenvironment that enhances immune priming and anti-tumor response. Despite encouraging clinical data, including the pivotal KEYNOTE-689 trial and multiple phase II studies, methodological heterogeneity in trial design, endpoint definitions, and response criteria currently hampers data comparability and the establishment of new standards of care. This expert narrative review proposes a structured framework for standardizing clinical, pathologic, imaging, and translational endpoints in HNSCC nIO trials, highlighting harmonized definitions of pathologic response, practical reporting templates, and methods to evaluate immune priming. Standardization of response evaluation, biomarker integration, and trial methodology is essential to accelerate the translation of neoadjuvant immunotherapy into routine clinical practice for HNSCC.
Source: Cancer Treatment Reviews
Authors: Carlo Resteghini, Athanassios Argiris, Pierre Blanchard, Irene Braña, Anna Maria Camarda, Anthony T.C. Chan, Robert Ferris, Vincent Gregoire, Kevin J. Harrington, Ingeborg Tinhofer, Senada Koljenović, Nancy Y. Lee, C. René Leemans, Jean-Pascal Machiels, Hisham Mehanna, Robert Metcalf, Brian O'Sullivan, Sjoukje Oosting, Ester Orlandi, Vinidh Paleri, Amanda Psyrri, Nabil F. Saba, Sandra Schmitz, Christian Simon, Makoto Tahara, Vincent Vander Poorten, Milan Vošmik, Paolo Bossi
Institutions: Humanitas University, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Hygeia Hospital, Institut Gustave Roussy, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, University of Pavia, National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy, Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Centre Léon Bérard, Institute of Cancer Research, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Antwerp University Hospital, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University of Antwerp, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, UCLouvain, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, University of Birmingham, University of Manchester, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Royal Marsden Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital Attikon, Emory University, Winship Cancer Institute, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Hôpital Orthopédique de la Suisse Romande, University of Lausanne, National Cancer Center Hospital East, KU Leuven, University Hospital Hradec Králové
Language: English
Topic: Head and Neck Cancer Studies
Subfield: Otorhinolaryngology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,910
OpenAlex ID: W7165779747