Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, which targets regulatory pathways in T cells to enhance antitumor immune responses, improves the life quality of cancer patients and has joined the ranks of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy to become a major choice for cancer therapy. Over the past few years, multiple exciting results have been obtained on checkpoint inhibitor therapy in advanced head and neck cancer. However, questions such as patient selection and biomarkers for assessing the therapy are largely unsolved. Herein, we briefly review recent findings in checkpoint inhibitor therapy for advanced head and neck cancer. We will also discuss possible mechanism, safety, combination therapy, and side effects for the therapy. Checkpoint inhibitor therapy has led to important clinical advances and will provide a new weapon against cancer.
免疫检查点抑制剂通过去除T细胞的抑制信号，增强T细胞活性，杀灭肿瘤细胞。该疗法被认为是继手术、放化疗后，用于癌症患者的又一重要治疗方法。近年来，免疫检查点抑制剂用于晚期头颈部恶性肿瘤的治疗取得了大量有价值的研究成果，但合适个体的选择，判断该治疗效果标记物的鉴别仍在探索中，需要开展更深入的研究。本文对近几年国内外学者在该领域取得的成果做一简要概述，并对免疫检查点抑制剂在治疗晚期头颈部恶性肿瘤中的机制、安全性、联合应用以及不良反应等方面进行阐述，以期为该疗法在临床中的应用提供一些新的认识。.
Keywords: CTLA-4; Head and neck neoplasms; Immune Checkpoint; Immunotherapy; PD-1; PD-L1.