Comparison of real-world outcomes following immunotherapy in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with outcomes of randomized controlled trials

Objectives: Evaluate outcomes of patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with immunotherapy (IO).

Methods: Among patients with R/M HNSCC treated with IO in this retrospective single-institution cohort, Cox regression was used to compare overall survival (OS) for those with platinum-refractory disease and those treated in the first-line setting with OS from KEYNOTE-040/048, respectively. Multivariable Cox regression was used to identify predictors of OS.

Results: There was no significant OS difference for those treated in the platinum-refractory setting when compared to patients on KEYNOTE-040 (HR = 1.22, p = 0.27), nor for the first-line setting compared to KEYNOTE-048 (HR = 1.23, p = 0.19). ECOG-PS 1 (HR = 2.00, p = 0.02) and ECOG-PS 2 (HR = 3.13, p < 0.01) were associated with worse OS. Higher absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.93 per 100 cells/μL, p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Real-world outcomes of IO in R/M HNSCC are similar to outcomes in randomized control trials, with performance status and ALC correlating with OS.