# Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer—Where Are We Now and Where Are We Headed?

## TL;DR

This review summarizes the current and future role of immunotherapy in treating head and neck cancer, highlighting key clinical trials and potential improvements.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of immunotherapy advancements in head and neck cancer, including trial results and future directions.

## Key findings

- Immunotherapy has shown benefits in metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer, as demonstrated by CheckMate-141 and KEYNOTE-048 trials.
- KEYNOTE-689 successfully applied immunotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer.
- The paper outlines ongoing trials and strategies to enhance immunotherapy outcomes in this patient group.

## Abstract

Head and neck cancer (HNC) encompasses tumors located within the oral cavity, sinonasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx. It is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Current treatment methods in HNC patients involve radical surgery, radical radiotherapy, and concomitant chemoradiotherapy, along with adjuvant and induction therapies. Accumulating trials examine the role of immunotherapy in patients with HNC. The results of the CheckMate-141 and KEYNOTE-048 trials demonstrated the benefits of using immunotherapy in patients with metastatic or recurrent HNC. Subsequently, numerous other immunotherapy-based protocols have been evaluated. Then, KEYNOTE-689 successfully implemented immunotherapy in patients with locally advanced disease. This review aims to comprehensively present the landscape of immunotherapy opportunities in patients with HNC. It summarizes completed key clinical trials that led to the approval of immunotherapy in HNC and presents currently performed trials with highly expected results. Furthermore, it discusses methods to improve immunotherapy outcomes in the cohort of HNC patients, describes the current role of immunotherapy in HNC, and presents future perspectives of this type of treatment.