PHILADELPHIA (May 23, 2016) —Pembrolizumab, an anti-programmed death cell protein 1 antibody, is successful in treating advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center – Temple Health. This provides a new treatment option with fewer side effects. The findings of the clinical trial will be presented at The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2016 Annual Meeting.
“This is an important development for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as we work toward finding more effective and tolerable treatment options for them,” said lead study author Ranee Mehra, MD, chief of Head & Neck Hematology/Oncology at Fox Chase.
Mehra and her colleagues enrolled 192 patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and administered the drug for up to 24 months in those who were responding. Response was assessed every eight weeks.
Robust antitumor activity, coupled with durable responses up to two years and promising survival during long-term follow up led researchers to the conclusion that the drug is an active treatment for recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. They also found that the drug was well tolerated in the patients.