Introduction: Over the past years, there has been a growing interest in the role of immunotherapy in locally advanced (LA) and recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). High-quality data from prospective trials are lacking for the elderly subpopulation. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in older patients.
Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted. Randomized clinical trials providing outcome data on a subgroup of elderly (>65 years old) were available for meta-analysis. Primary outcomes of interest were OS and PFS for efficacy analysis.
Results: Seven studies were included in the systematic review and four in the efficacy analysis. The pooled analysis of OS and PFS showed a consistent benefit (HR 0.78 and 0.91, respectively).
Conclusions: Immunotherapy may be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option in the elderly population, but more prospective and randomized data are needed.
Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42022333891).
Keywords: elderly; head and neck cancer; immunotherapy; locally advance head and neck cancer; recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer.
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