Adjuvant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Head and Neck Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Phase III Trials.
J Oral Pathol MedMay 18, 2026 (epub)
Wala Ben Kridis, Afef Khanfir
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemoradiotherapy in 1394 patients with resected locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The study found that ICIs significantly improved disease-free survival (HR: 0.75) and overall survival (HR: 0.74), while also increasing the risk of adverse events.
Key findings
- ICIs combined with CRT reduced the risk of recurrence by 25% (HR: 0.75).
- Overall survival improved by 26% with ICIs (HR: 0.74).
- Patients with PD-L1 expression (CPS ≥ 1) had a greater benefit (HR: 0.66).
- 81% of patients reported any-grade adverse events, with 12.4%-17.7% discontinuing treatment due to these events.
Why it matters
The findings highlight the potential of adjuvant ICIs to enhance survival outcomes in high-risk head and neck cancer patients, emphasizing the need for careful patient selection and monitoring due to the associated risk of adverse events.