Zhou Xin, Wang Xiaoshen
Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China.
Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Biomedicines. 2022 Aug 17;10(8):1990. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10081990.
HPV-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a cancer entity with unique biological and clinical characteristics that requires more personalized treatment strategies. As the backbone of conventional therapeutics, radiation is now harnessed to synergize with immunotherapy in multiple malignancies. Accumulating preclinical and clinical data have suggested the potential of radioimmunotherapy in eliciting local and systemic anti-tumor response via direct killing of tumor cells and immunogenic cell death. However, this effect remains uncertain in HPV-associated HNSCC. Owing to its intrinsic radiosensitivity and distinct tumor microenvironment, HPV-associated HNSCC may represent a good candidate for radioimmunotherapy. In this review, we provide a detailed illustration of the biology, the genomic features, and immune landscapes of HPV-associated HNSCC that support the synergism between radiation and immune agents. The interaction between radiotherapy and immunotherapy is described. We also highlight the present evidence as well as ongoing trials using different combination strategies in the recurrent/metastatic or definitive settings. In addition, we have summarized the challenges and outlook for future trial design, with special emphasis on radiotherapy optimization and novel therapeutic options to incorporate.
人乳头瘤病毒相关头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）是一种具有独特生物学和临床特征的癌症类型，需要更具个性化的治疗策略。作为传统治疗方法的支柱，放疗目前正被用于与多种恶性肿瘤的免疫疗法协同作用。越来越多的临床前和临床数据表明，放射免疫疗法有可能通过直接杀死肿瘤细胞和引发免疫原性细胞死亡来产生局部和全身抗肿瘤反应。然而，这种效果在人乳头瘤病毒相关HNSCC中仍不确定。由于其固有的放射敏感性和独特的肿瘤微环境，人乳头瘤病毒相关HNSCC可能是放射免疫疗法的良好候选对象。在本综述中，我们详细阐述了支持放疗与免疫制剂协同作用的人乳头瘤病毒相关HNSCC的生物学、基因组特征和免疫格局。描述了放疗与免疫疗法之间的相互作用。我们还强调了目前的证据以及在复发/转移或根治性治疗中使用不同联合策略的正在进行的试验。此外，我们总结了未来试验设计面临的挑战和前景，特别强调放疗优化和纳入新的治疗选择。
