title: Immunotherapy for head and neck cancer patients: shifting the balance.
abstract: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer in the western world. Over the last few decades little improvement has been made to increase the relatively low 5-year survival rate. This calls for novel and improved therapies. Here, we describe opportunities in immunotherapy for head and neck cancer patients and hurdles yet to be overcome. Viruses are involved in a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cases. The incidence of HPV-related head and neck cancer is increasing and is a distinctly different disease from other head and neck carcinomas. Virus-induced tumors express viral antigens that are good targets for immunotherapeutic treatment options. The type of immunotherapeutic treatment, either active or passive, should be selected depending on the HPV status of the tumor and the immune status of the patient.
authors.affiliation: VU University Medical Center - Cancer Center Amsterdam, Department of Pathology 2.26, de Boelelaan 1117, NL-1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annelies W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Turksma
authors.forename: Boudewijn Jm
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Braakhuis
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bloemena
authors.forename: Chris Jlm
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: C René
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Leemans
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hooijberg
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D015994:Incidence; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck