Chemotherapy for Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Metastasis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 347

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan
Interests: chemotherapy; clinical oncology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The outcomes of systemic therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) have significantly progressed with the advent of molecular target agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, new challenges have emerged, including overcoming ICI resistance and formulating secondary treatment strategies. The development of biomarkers for predicting drug sensitivity is also gaining increasing attention. This Special Issue aims to provide innovative ideas and insights regarding the enhancement of treatment outcomes in systemic therapy for metastatic HNSCCs.

In this Special Issue, we invite discussions on various topics related to systemic therapy for metastatic HNSCCs. These include translational research investigating underlying mechanisms and pathology to determine drug sensitivity and prognosis.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present new insights into optimized treatment strategies for metastatic HNSCCs.

We welcome reviews and original research articles for this Special Issue, with submissions due by 15 July 2026.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Ken Saijo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • head and neck squamous cell carcinomas
  • HNSCC
  • immune checkpoint inhibitor
  • biomarker
  • chemotherapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 1097 KB  
Article
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study and Literature Review
by Kosuke Terazawa, Masashi Kuroki, Ken Saijo, Tatsuhiko Yamada, Ryota Iinuma, Ryo Kawaura, Hiroshi Okuda, Kenichi Mori, Hirofumi Shibata, Ryo Utakata, Miki Umeda and Takenori Ogawa
Cancers 2025, 17(17), 2872; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17172872 - 1 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Objective: Sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy, with limited treatment strategies in the recurrent or metastatic cases. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown efficacy in head and neck cancers (HNCs), clinical data specific to SNSCC are [...] Read more.
Objective: Sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy, with limited treatment strategies in the recurrent or metastatic cases. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown efficacy in head and neck cancers (HNCs), clinical data specific to SNSCC are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of ICIs in patients with SNSCC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 18 patients with pathologically confirmed SNSCC treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab at Gifu University Hospital between May 2017 and December 2024. Treatment response was assessed using RECIST v1.1 criteria. Overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were evaluated as treatment effects, and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated as prognoses. Subgroup analyses were performed according to treatment regimen. Results: The ORR and DCR for all patients were 43.8% and 56.3%, respectively. Pembrolizumab-treated patients showed higher response rates (ORR: 66.7%; DCR: 83.3%) compared to those treated with nivolumab (ORR: 30%; DCR: 40%). Median OS and PFS were 21.5 and 7.9 months, respectively. Long-term durable responses exceeding two years were observed in several cases. Although pembrolizumab tended to result in better outcomes, no statistically significant difference was found between groups. Immune-related adverse events were infrequent and manageable. Conclusions: This study suggests that a subset of patients with SNSCC may benefit from ICI therapy, particularly in combination with chemotherapy. Despite the rarity of SNSCC, accumulating clinical evidence—including prospective studies—is essential to establish standardized treatment strategies for this disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemotherapy for Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas)
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