Head & Neck Cancers

A new drug application has been submitted to the FDA for pralsetinib (BLU-667) for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer and RET fusion–positive thyroid cancers.

The FDA has approved an expanded indication for Gardasil 9 for the prevention of oropharyngeal and other head and neck cancers caused by human papillomavirus types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.

The FDA has approved selpercatinib (LOXO-292) for the treatment of patients with advanced RET fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer, RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer, and RET fusion–positive thyroid cancer.

Hoping to minimize the off-target effects associated with radiation in patients with oropharyngeal cancer, investigators are testing the hypothesis that intensitymodulated proton therapy can deliver doses as effectively as the current standard of care with less damage to surrounding tissue.

Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, discusses ongoing research with STING agonists and checkpoint inhibitors in head and neck cancer.

Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, director of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Hillman Cancer Center, Hillman Professor of Oncology, associate vice chancellor for cancer research, professor of otolaryngology, immunology, and radiation oncology, co-director, Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, discusses a clinical trial testing ADU-S100/MIW815 plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with head and neck cancer.

Barbara Burtness, MD, discusses the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with platinum-refractory head and neck cancers.

The phase III JAVELIN Head and Neck 100 trial has been terminated after an interim analysis showed that the addition of avelumab to standard-of-care chemoradiotherapy was unlikely to lead to a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival in patients with untreated locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

The FDA has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to Debio 1143, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein antagonist, for the treatment of patients with previously untreated, unresectable, locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in combination with standard cisplatin-based concomitant fractionation chemoradiation therapy

If clinicians can identify complications earlier and take appropriate prophylactic or therapeutic measures, treatment plan adherence and outcomes may be improved for patients with head and neck cancer.

The FDA has granted a priority review designation to a new drug application for selpercatinib (LOXO-292) for the treatment of patients with advanced RET fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer, RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer, and RET fusion–positive thyroid cancer.

The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued guidelines recommending against pembrolizumab for use in treatment-naïve patients with metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 with a combined positive score of ≥1.

Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency has granted approval to frontline pembrolizumab as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with recurrent or distant metastatic head and neck cancer.

Everett E. Vokes, MD, FASCO, who is a Giants of Cancer Care® recipient for Head and Neck Cancer, has been named the next president of ASCO for the 2021 to 2022 term.

Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, discusses combining STING agonists with checkpoint inhibitors in head and neck cancer.

Neil D. Gross, MD, FACS, discusses the prognosis of patients who are diagnosed with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

The European Commission has approved pembrolizumab as a monotherapy or in combination with platinum and 5-FU chemotherapy for the frontline treatment of patients with metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and PD-L1 expression (composite positive score ≥1) on their tumors.

Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP, discusses the potential benefit of immunotherapy in combination with radiation in head and neck cancer.

Nabil F. Saba, MD, FACP, director, Head and Neck Medical Oncology Program, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, and professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology, Emory University School of Medicine, discusses anticipated research in head and neck cancer.

Based on strong findings for efficacy and safety, as well as FDA approvals, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer has issued the first guidelines for the use of immunotherapy agents in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has recommended approval of pembrolizumab as a monotherapy or in combination with platinum and 5-FU as frontline treatment for patients with metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and PD-L1 expression on their tumors.