The discussion focuses on practical challenges of implementing neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy for head and neck cancer based on a recent trial (689). Successful implementation requires careful multidisciplinary planning involving surgeons, medical oncologists, nurses, navigators, and pathologists, with particular attention to patient selection criteria and CPS scoring requirements. A key operational concern is establishing protocols for monitoring tumor progression during treatment, such as having surgeons evaluate patients between infusion doses with imaging to identify early signs of disease advancement and prevent unnecessary second doses in non-responders.
Contributors:
Dr. Jennifer Johnson is a head and neck surgeon and Associate Professor in the Departments of Medical Oncology and Otolaryngology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Adam Luginbuhl is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University.
Dr. Mihir Patel is a head and neck surgical oncologist and professor at UNC School of Medicine and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Siddharth Sheth is a head and neck medical oncologist at UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
