Nancy Y. Lee, MD

Nancy Y. Lee, MD, vice chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the combination of a PD-L1 inhibitor to the standard of care for patients with head and neck cancer.

In patients with HPV-negative head and neck cancer, local regional control is in the order of 50% to 70%, explains Lee. For HPV-positive head and neck cancer, the T4 N2c, which are the worse-comers, the local regional control is also around 60% to 70%.

According to Lee, by adding a PD-L1 inhibitor to the standard of care it will perhaps enhance the effect of local regional control.

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Dr. Lee on Combining Anti-PD-L1 to Standard of Care for Head and Neck Cancer

Nancy Y. Lee, MD, vice chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the impact of immunotherapy in head and neck cancer.

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) are both FDA-approved for the treatment of patients with head and neck cancer. The impact of these immunotherapy agents, says Lee, is that patients are living longer—whereas in the past they would have succumbed to their disease.

After immunotherapy is given, says Lee, the makeup of the patient is different—allowing some to respond to other types of therapies.

Author | Nancy Y. Lee, MD

Articles

Dr. Lee on Combining Anti-PD-L1 to Standard of Care for Head and Neck Cancer

Dr. Lee on the Impact of Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer