Systemic Therapy for Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Evidence and Clinical Decision-Making

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in 2018 fundamentally changed treatment expectations from managing symptoms to achieving potential cures with durable responses.

• Treatment for cSCC evolved from having only modest chemotherapy options to now having three different checkpoint inhibitors, allowing for individualized treatment selection based on patient factors.
• Modern immunotherapy approaches for cSCC offer better tolerability profiles compared to traditional chemotherapy combinations, with newer agents showing particularly low toxicity rates.
• Current and future directions emphasize personalized medicine through biomarker development, combination strategies, and determining optimal treatment timing and duration for each patient with cSCC.