A new immunotherapy doubles overall survival and improves quality of life with fewer side effects in previously treated metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), according to a large, randomized international trial.
The findings are from the international CheckMate-141 clinical trial, and were presented in June at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
“These exciting results indicate that there is a new standard of care option for a population of head and neck cancer patients with no other treatment options,” said Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, chief of the division of head and neck surgery and co-leader of the Cancer Immunology Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and the trial’s international co-chair.