Research explores new treatments for head and neck cancer

Recent clinical studies have investigated new approaches to treating and preventing the recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

A phase I/II clinical trial published in Oncotarget examined PepCan, an experimental therapeutic HPV vaccine. Unlike preventive vaccines, PepCan is designed to stimulate immune responses against HPV-associated targets after cancer has developed. The vaccine utilizes four synthetic peptides covering the HPV16 E6 protein combined with a Candida adjuvant. While the study investigated its ability to reduce HNSCC recurrence, researchers noted that results were inconclusive due to small patient numbers, stating, “PepCan does not seem to be effective in reducing recurrence; however, the results are inconclusive given the small patient numbers.”

Separately, a study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery evaluated the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy compared to immunotherapy alone for resectable HNSCC. The research, involving 86 real-world patients, found that combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy before surgery resulted in a 67 percent rate of pathologic complete or major pathologic response. In contrast, only 3.6 percent of patients receiving immunotherapy alone reached those same response thresholds. The combination regimen was reported to be generally well tolerated with an acceptable safety profile for surgical candidates.