Randomized phase II trial of cixutumumab alone or with cetuximab for refractory recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Advantages of the Combinatorial Molecular Targeted Therapy of Head and Neck Cancer-A Step before Anakoinosis-Based Personalized Treatment

The molecular initiators of Head and Heck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) are complex. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is linked to an increasing number of HNSCC cases, but HPV-positive tumors generally have a good prognosis. External factors that promote the development of HPV-negative HNSCC include tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and proinflammatory poor oral hygiene. On a molecular level, several events, including the well-known overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) and related downstream signaling pathways, contribute to the development of HNSCC. Conventional chemotherapy is insufficient for many patients. Thus, molecular-based therapy for HNSCC offers patients a better chance at a cure. The first molecular target for therapy of HNSCC was EGFR, inhibited by monoclonal antibody cetuximab, but its use in monotherapy is insufficient and induces resistance. This article describes attempts at combinatorial molecular targeted therapy of HNSCC based on several molecular targets and exemplary drugs/drug candidates. The new concept of anakoinosis-based therapy, which means treatment that targets the intercellular and intracellular communication of cancer cells, is thought to be the way to improve the clinical outcome for HNSCC patients. The identification of a link between molecular targeted therapy and anakoinosis raises the potential for further progress in HPV-negative HNSCC therapy.

Combination Therapy as a Promising Way to Fight Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a highly aggressive tumor with invasive properties that can lead to metastasis and high mortality rates. Conventional treatment strategies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, alone or in combination, are associated with significant side effects. Currently, combination therapy has become the standard practice for the treatment of locally advanced oral cancer, emerging as an effective approach in improving outcomes. In this review, we present an in-depth analysis of the current advancements in combination therapies for oral cancer. The review explores the current therapeutic options and highlights the limitations of monotherapy approaches. It then focuses on combinatorial approaches that target microtubules, as well as various signaling pathway components implicated in oral cancer progression, namely, DNA repair players, the epidermal growth factor receptor, cyclin-dependent kinases, epigenetic readers, and immune checkpoint proteins. The review discusses the rationale behind combining different agents and examines the preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of these combinations, emphasizing their ability to enhance treatment response and overcome drug resistance. Challenges and limitations associated with combination therapy are discussed, including potential toxicity and the need for personalized treatment approaches. A future perspective is also provided to highlight the existing challenges and possible resolutions toward the clinical translation of current oral cancer therapies.

Comparison of Second-Line Treatments for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis

Simple Summary

Which second-line treatment is the optimal choice for patients with platinum-resistant recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma remains unclear. To inform clinical decisions, we performed a network meta-analysis and systematic review to assess the relative efficacy and safety of second-line treatments for patients with platinum-resistant recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. By synthesizing all available controlled trial evidence, PD-1 inhibitors significantly improved the overall survival, objective response rate, and treatment tolerance compared to the standard of care (docetaxel, methotrexate, or cetuximab). Afatinib presented a better progression-free survival and objective response rate than the standard of care. Compared with afatinib, PD-1 inhibitors had a better overall survival but a worse progress-free survival.

Abstract

Several new drugs and combination strategies can be used to treat patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in the second-line treatment. Questions regarding the relative efficacy and safety of any two of the multiple second-line treatment strategies have emerged. This study aims to compare second-line treatments for patients with platinum-resistant recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify relevant articles. Direct and indirect evidence in terms of the objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-related adverse events grade ≥ 3 (grade ≥ 3 trAE) were analyzed in this Bayesian network meta-analysis. A total of twenty-three trials involving 5039 patients were included. These studies compared 20 different treatments, including the standard of care (SOC: docetaxel, methotrexate, or cetuximab), PD-1 inhibitors (nivolumab or pembrolizumab), durvalumab, tremelimumab, durvalumab + tremelimumab, palbociclib + SOC, tivantinib + SOC, sorafenib + SOC, EMD1201081 + SOC, vandetanib + SOC, PX-866 + SOC, 5-fluorouracil + SOC, cixutumumab + SOC, gefitinib + SOC, cabazitaxel, nolatrexed, duligotuzumab, zalutumumab, gefitinib, and afatinib. Among the currently available treatment options, compared to the standard of care (SOC: docetaxel, methotrexate, or cetuximab), the PD inhibitor significantly improved OS, ORR, and grade ≥ 3 trAE. Afatinib presented a better PFS and ORR than the SOC. Compared with afatinib, the PD-1 inhibitor had a better OS but a worse PFS. In conclusion, compared to the SOC, the PD-1 inhibitor significantly improved the OS, ORR, and grade ≥ 3 trAE. Afatinib presented a better PFS and ORR than the SOC. Compared with afatinib, the PD-1 inhibitor had a better OS but a worse PFS.

Genomic Alterations in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Level of Evidence According to ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets (ESCAT)

Development of high-throughput technologies helped to decipher tumor genomic landscapes revealing actionable molecular alterations. We aimed to rank the level of evidence of recurrent actionable molecular alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) on the basis of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets (ESCAT) to help the clinicians prioritize treatment. We identified actionable alterations in 33 genes. HRAS-activating mutations were ranked in tier IB because of the efficacy of tipifarnib (farnesyltransferase inhibitor) in HRAS-mutated patients with HNSCC (nonrandomized clinical trial). Microsatellite instability (MSI), high tumor mutational burden (TMB), and NTRK fusions were ranked in tier IC because of PD-1 and TRK tyrosine kinase inhibitors tissue-agnostic approvals. CDKN2A-inactivating alterations and EGFR amplification were ranked in tier IIA because of the efficacy of palbociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor) and afatinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in these respective molecular subgroups in retrospective analyses of clinical trials. Molecular alterations in several genes, including PIK3CA gene, were ranked in tier IIIA because of clinical benefit in other tumor types, whereas molecular alterations in IGF1R and TP53 genes were ranked in tier IVA and tier V, respectively. The most compelling actionable molecular alterations in HNSCC according to ESCAT include HRAS-activating mutations, MSI, high TMB, NTRK fusions, CDKN2A-inactivating alterations, and EGFR amplification.

Shooting at Moving and Hidden Targets-Tumour Cell Plasticity and the Notch Signalling Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is often aggressive, with poor response to current therapies in approximately 40-50% of the patients. Current therapies are restricted to operation and irradiation, often combined with a small number of standard-of-care chemotherapeutic drugs, preferentially for advanced tumour patients. Only very recently, newer targeted therapies have entered the clinics, including Cetuximab, which targets the EGF receptor (EGFR), and several immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the immune receptor PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1. HNSCC tumour tissues are characterized by a high degree of intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH), and non-genetic alterations that may affect both non-transformed cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and transformed carcinoma cells. This very high degree of heterogeneity likely contributes to acquired drug resistance, tumour dormancy, relapse, and distant or lymph node metastasis. ITH, in turn, is likely promoted by pronounced tumour cell plasticity, which manifests in highly dynamic and reversible phenomena such as of partial or hybrid forms of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and enhanced tumour stemness. Stemness and tumour cell plasticity are strongly promoted by Notch signalling, which remains poorly understood especially in HNSCC. Here, we aim to elucidate how Notch signal may act both as a tumour suppressor and proto-oncogenic, probably during different stages of tumour cell initiation and progression. Notch signalling also interacts with numerous other signalling pathways, that may also have a decisive impact on tumour cell plasticity, acquired radio/chemoresistance, and metastatic progression of HNSCC. We outline the current stage of research related to Notch signalling, and how this pathway may be intricately interconnected with other, druggable targets and signalling mechanisms in HNSCC.

The Optimal Second-Line Systemic Treatment Model for Recurrent and/or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis

Background

The optimal second-line systemic treatment model for recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) remains controversial. A Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to address this issue with regard to efficacy and toxicity.

Methods

By searching MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science, we extracted eligible studies. Efficacy, represented as overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and overall toxicity, represented as ≥ grade 3 severe acute events (sAE), were assessed to compare the following 7 treatment models through an NMA: standard-of-care therapy (SoC), single targeted therapy different from SoC (ST), double targeted therapy (DT), targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy (T+C), single immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (SI), double immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (DI) and single chemotherapy different from SoC (SC). Rank probabilities according to the values of the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) were separately determined for efficacy and toxicity.

Results

In total, 5285 patients from 24 eligible studies were ultimately screened, with 5184, 4532 and 4026 involved in the NMA of OS, PFS and sAE, respectively. All qualifying studies were absent from first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. In terms of OS, SI was superior to the other treatments, followed by DI, ST, T+C, SoC, DT and SC. Other than SI and SC, all treatments tended to be consistent, with hazard ratios (HRs) close to 1 between groups. For PFS, ST ranked first, while DT ranked last. For the toxicity profiles, compared with the other models, SI resulted in the lowest incidences of sAE, with statistical significance over SoC (odds ratio [OR] 0.31, 95% credible interval [CrI] 0.11 to 0.90), ST (OR 0.23, 95% CrI 0.06 to 0.86) and DT (OR 0.11, 95% CrI 0.02 to 0.53), while DT was the worst. When the SUCRA values of OS and sAE were combined, a cluster plot illustrated the superiority of SI, which demonstrated the best OS and tolerability toward sAE.

Conclusion

For R/M HNSCC patients without immune checkpoint inhibitors in the first-line setting, SI may serve as the optimal second-line systemic treatment model, demonstrating the best OS and least sAE.

Precision Medicine Approaches to Overcome Resistance to Therapy in Head and Neck Cancers

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most incident cancer worldwide. More than half of HNSCC patients experience locoregional or distant relapse to treatment despite aggressive multimodal therapeutic approaches that include surgical resection, radiation therapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Before the arrival of immunotherapy, systemic chemotherapy was previously employed as the standard first-line protocol with an association of cisplatin or carboplatin plus 5-fluorouracil plus cetuximab (anti-EFGR antibody). Unfortunately, acquisition of therapy resistance is common in patients with HNSCC and often results in local and distant failure. Despite our better understanding of HNSCC biology, no other molecular-targeted agent has been approved for HNSCC. In this review, we outline the mechanisms of resistance to the therapeutic strategies currently used in HNSCC, discuss combination treatment strategies to overcome them, and summarize the therapeutic regimens that are presently being evaluated in early- and late-phase clinical trials.

Targeting Leukemia-Initiating Cells in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The concept that different leukemias are developmentally distinct and, like in normal hematopoiesis, generated by restricted populations of cells named leukemia-initiating cells (LIC), is becoming more established. These cancer stem-like cells have been assumed to have unique properties, including the capability of self-renewing and giving rise to "differentiated" or non-LICs that make up the whole tumor. Cell populations enriched with LIC activity have been characterized in different hematopoietic malignancies, including human acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Related studies have also demonstrated that LICs are functionally distinct from bulk cells and modulated by distinct molecular signaling pathways and epigenetic mechanisms. Here we review several biological and clinical aspects related to LICs in ALL, including (i) immunophenotypic characterization of LIC-enriched subsets in human and mouse models of ALL, (ii) emerging therapeutics against regulatory signaling pathways involved in LIC progression and maintenance in T- and B-cell leukemias, (iii) novel epigenetic and age-related mechanisms of LIC propagation, and (iv) ongoing efforts in immunotherapy to eradicate LIC-enriched cell subsets in relapsed and refractory ALL cases. Current conventional treatments do not efficiently eliminate LICs. Therefore, innovative therapeutics that exclusively target LICs hold great promise for developing an effective cure for ALL.

Inhibition of MEIS3 Generates Cetuximab Resistance through c-Met and Akt

INTRODUCTION

Although cetuximab has been widely used in the treatment of colon cancer, a large number of patients eventually develop drug resistance. Therefore, it is essential to clarify the mechanism of drug resistance.

METHODS

In this study, we combined in silico analysis and a single guide RNA (sgRNA) library to locate cetuximab-sensitive genes. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle were assessed to validate the change in cetuximab sensitivity. Finally, western blotting was performed to detect changes in epidermal growth factor (EGFR) upstream and downstream genes.

RESULTS

Using in silico analysis and the sgRNA library, MEIS3 was confirmed as the cetuximab-sensitive gene. Further experiments indicated that the expression of MEIS3 could determine the level of cetuximab. Meanwhile, MEIS3-inhibited cells were sensitive to mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (c-Met) and protein kinase B (Akt) inhibitors, which is related to the change in phosphorylation of c-Met and degradation of Akt.

CONCLUSION

MEIS3 modified the sensitivity to cetuximab through c-Met and Akt.

Two-year follow-up of a randomized phase III clinical trial of nivolumab vs. the investigator's choice of therapy in the Asian population for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (CheckMate 141)

Background

The present study evaluated the 2‐year survival of the Asian population in the CheckMate 141 trial.

Methods

The CheckMate 141 trial included patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). In the present study, 34 Asian patients (nivolumab group: 23 patients; investigator's choice of therapy [IC] group: 11 patients) were analyzed.

Results

The median overall survival (OS) was 12.1 and 6.2 months for the nivolumab and IC groups, respectively. The estimated 2‐year OS rates were 22.7% and 0% for the nivolumab and IC groups, respectively. In the nivolumab group, the patients with any treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs), including skin‐related disorders, showed better OS than the patients without any TRAEs.

Conclusions

Nivolumab demonstrated prolonged OS benefits in the Asian population with platinum‐refractory R/M SCCHN and a favorable safety profile. TRAEs, including skin‐related disorders, may be favorable prognostic factors for nivolumab efficacy.

Clinical trial registration

NCT02105636.

RTKs in pathobiology of head and neck cancers

Non-communicable diseases contribute to 71% of the deaths worldwide, of which cancers rank second after cardiovascular diseases. Among all the cancers, head and neck cancers (HNC) are consequential in augmenting the global cancer incidence as well as mortality. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are emphatic for the matter that they serve as biomarkers aiding the analysis of tumor progression and metastasis as well as diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic progression in the patients. The extensive researches on HNC have made significant furtherance in numerous targeted therapies, but for the escalating therapeutic resistance. This review explicates RTKs in HNC, their signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis, metastasis and stemness induction, the association of non-coding RNAs with RTKs, an overview of RTK based therapy and associated resistance in HNC, as well as a sneak peek into the HPV positive HNC and its therapy. The review extrapolates the cardinal role of RTKs and RTK based therapy as superior to other existing therapeutic interventions for HNC.

Systemic Therapy in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The most effective regimen is unclear for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (R/M HNSCC). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating only systemic therapy for R/M HNSCC.

METHODS

This systematic review followed PRISMA and the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rates (ORR).

RESULTS

55 RCTs from 1990-November 2019 qualified for review (n=12132). Only PD-1/PDL-1 inhibitors increased OS in R/M HNSCC platinum-resistant disease against their control (HR = 0·79, 95%CI 0·70-0.90, p<0·001), especially for PD-L1 ≥ 1% expressing tumours (HR = 0·72, 95%CI 0·60-0·86, p<0·001). PFS was prolonged for anti-EGFR agents against methotrexate when used in a second line setting (HR = 0·74, 95 %CI 0·62-0·87, p=0·001), and when cetuximab (HR = 0·60, 95%CI 0·49-0·72, p<0·0001) and panitumumab (HR = 0·76, 95%CI 0·65-0·89, p=0·001) were introduced to platinum-based regimens for first-line treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors may represent the future of R/M HNSCC treatment. However, EGFR inhibitors may still play improve clinical outcomes.

Beyond EGFR Targeting in SCCHN: Angiogenesis, PI3K, and Other Molecular Targets

Although the molecular landscape of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) has been largely deciphered, only one targeted therapy has been approved to date without any molecular selection, namely cetuximab. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody targeting EGFR. It has been shown to improve overall survival in the locally advanced setting in combination with radiotherapy and the recurrent and/or metastatic setting in combination with a platinum compound and 5FU. Beside EGFR targeting agents, antiangiogenic agents have been shown to produce antitumor activity but were associated with substantial toxicity. Buparlisib that targets PI3K was also shown to improve survival in combination with paclitaxel in an unselected patient population. Several other targeted therapies have been developed in SCCHN, most of time in all comers, potentially explaining the limited efficacy reported with them. The recent emergence of clinical trials of targeted therapies in enriched patient populations and precision medicine trials such as umbrella trials might boost the clinical development of targeted therapy in SCCHN.

Integrating novel therapeutic monoclonal antibodies into the management of head and neck cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an immunosuppressive malignancy. Interest in developing novel immunotherapies in HNSCC has been reawakened by the success of cetuximab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the epidermal growth factor receptor, which likely relies on immune as well as antisignaling mechanisms. This review focuses on novel therapeutic mAbs in current clinical development against established mechanisms of immune evasion in HNSCC, targeting: 1) tumor antigens, with resultant potential to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and T cell activation; 2) immunosuppressive cytokines; 3) costimulatory tumor necrosis factor-family receptors; and 4) coinhibitory immune checkpoint receptors. Clinical trials of immunotherapeutic mAbs as monotherapy, in combination with cytolytic standard therapies exposing tumor antigens or in combination with other immunomodulatory mAbs, are urgently needed in HNSCC.

Promising systemic immunotherapies in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) demonstrate poor survival and significant treatment morbidity with standard therapy. The immune profile in HNSCC, whether caused by carcinogen exposure or human papillomavirus (HPV), is notably immunosuppressive. Early clinical trials of immunotherapy in HNSCC were troubled by systemic toxicity or difficulties in local administration. Now, interest in immunotherapy has been revitalized by mechanistic insights into immune evasion by HNSCC, coupled to ongoing development of novel immunotherapies. This review will summarize immune escape mechanisms in HNSCC, namely downregulation of tumor antigen (TA) presentation, aberrant regulation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family, the immunosuppressive cytokine milieu, and dysregulation of immune effector cells. Therapeutic strategies hypothesized to specifically counter HNSCC immunosuppression will then be discussed. We will survey TA- targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAb), including the prototype cetuximab, as well as adjunctive strategies to enhance antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. We will review immunomodulation to restore STAT1/STAT3 activation balance. Examples of mAb therapy to block immunosuppressive cytokines, such as interleukin-6 or VEGF, will be provided. mAbs which release co-inhibitory T cell receptors such as CTLA-4 and PD-1, overexpressed in HNSCC, also hold therapeutic promise. Finally, we will describe principles for therapeutic vaccination in HPV-associated HNSCC, where non-host TAs such as viral oncoproteins represent ideal targets, and HPV-negative HNSCC, where p53 is a promising target. Insights into immunosuppression in HNSCC have elucidated mechanistic targets for immunotherapy. Rational clinical investigation may lead to effective stand alone or combinatorial treatment approaches.