Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy with afatinib for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (neoCHANCE-2): an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study.
J Immunother CancerSep 12, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchOncology (Medical)
Zhigong Wei, Huijiao Chen, Dejuan Wang et al.
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In 30 seconds
This phase 2, single-arm trial evaluated neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy with afatinib in 40 patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC). The study found a complete pathologic response (pCR) rate of 40.6% and an overall response rate (ORR) of 82.5%. The 1-year overall survival rate was 97.3%.
Key findings
- The complete pathologic response (pCR) rate was 40.6% (95% CI 23.7% to 59.4%).
- The overall response rate (ORR) was 82.5% (95% CI 67.2% to 92.7%).
- The 1-year overall survival (OS) rate was 97.3% (95% CI 92.2% to 100%).
- The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse event was lymphopenia, occurring in 12.5% of patients.
Why it matters
The study highlights a novel neoadjuvant approach combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which may enhance treatment efficacy in LA-HNSCC. Understanding the immune response could inform future therapeutic strategies.