title: Trials and tribulations of immunotherapy as a treatment option for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive epithelial malignancy that is the sixth most common neoplasm in the world. Despite numerous advances in treatments involving surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival has remained at less than 50% for the last 30 years primarily due to local recurrences [66]. Consequently, the possibility of developing immunotherapeutic approaches as a treatment for HNSCC has gained interest. The present review has 3 objectives pertaining to immunotherapeutic means to treat HNSCC patients: (1) to summarize the feasibility of such approaches, (2) to provide an overview of the obstacles to attaining protective immune reactivity, and (3) to consider how these obstacles can be overcome to stimulate immune reactivity to HNSCC. These objectives will also be considered in the context of what lessons have been learned from immunotherapeutic trials for other solid malignancies and the applicability of this information to HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Research Service (151), Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401-5799, USA. rita.young@med.va.gov
authors.forename: M Rita I
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007167:Immunotherapy; D011878:Radiotherapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents