Prospective Trial of Biomarker-Guided Surveillance for HPV-positive Oropharynx Cancer Using Plasma Tumor Tissue Modified Viral HPV DNA.

Background: Observational studies suggest circulating tumor HPV DNA may facilitate early detection of recurrent HPV-positive oropharynx cancer (OPC). We prospectively investigated whether biomarker-guided surveillance detects recurrence sooner than standard-of-care.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled patients evaluated for HPV-positive OPC at a single center 11/2020-4/2023 undergoing curative-intent treatment in a single-arm cohort study.

Next generation sequencing-based MSI scoring predict benefit in mismatch repair deficient tumors treated with nivolumab: follow-up on NCI-MATCH arm Z1D.

Purpose: Mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) tumors have demonstrated favorable responses to immune checkpoint inhibition targeting PD-1. However, more in-depth identification of predictors of response could further refine patient selection for immunotherapy treatment.

Experimental Design: We undertook integrated evaluation performed on samples collected from 28 of 42 patients enrolled on the NCI-MATCH arm Z1D trial that evaluated PD-1 inhibition treatment with nivolumab in patients with non-colorectal dMMR tumors.

T cell dynamics with neoadjuvant immunotherapy in head and neck cancer.

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are being tested as neoadjuvant therapies in various solid tumours, including in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with promising results. Key findings thus far include that this approach is well-tolerated with favourable clinical outcomes including promising pathological response rates in initial studies. Pathological responses are likely to be increased by combining other agents with anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies.