Programmed death 1 (PD-1) and ligand (PD-L1) inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT

Background: PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors have emerged as promising treatments for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in HNSCC. Outcomes: median overall survival (mOS), median progression-free survival (mPFS), Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Results: Eleven trials reported data on 1088 patients (mean age 59.9 years, range 18-90). The total mOS was 7.97 months (range 6.0-16.5). Mean mPFS for all studies was 2.84 months (range 1.9-6.5). PD-1 inhibitors had a lower rate of RECIST Progressive Disease than PD-L1 inhibitors (42.61%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 36.29-49.06 vs. 56.79%, 95% CI 49.18-64.19, P < 0.001). The rate of TRAEs of any grade (62.7%, 95% CI 59.8-65.6) did not differ. Conclusions: Meta-analysis shows the efficacy of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in HNSCC and suggests a possible difference in certain RECIST criterion between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors. Future work to investigate the clinical significance of these findings is warranted.