Abstract
Background: Associations between peripheral blood biomarkers and oncologic outcomes were explored in recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HN) and salivary gland cancer (SGC) treated with pembrolizumab and vorinostat on a phase II trial (NCT02538510). Experimental Design: Twenty-five HN and 25 SGCs were treated with pembrolizumab and vorinostat. Baseline peripheral blood was available in 21 HN and 20 SGCs and evaluated for associations with grade ≥3 adverse events (G ≥ 3AE) by CTCAEv4, objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Higher pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and neutrophils, as well as lower pretreatment lymphocytes and T helper cells correlated with worse OS and PFS. Higher NLR further predicted increased rates of G ≥ 3AEs. No correlations with ORR were observed. Conclusions: In a prospectively evaluated cohort of HN and SGCs treated with pembrolizumab and vorinostat, we observed novel associations between peripheral blood biomarkers and oncologic outcomes and toxicities.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 391-397 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Head and Neck |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- head and neck cancer
- immunotherapy
- pembrolizumab
- peripheral blood biomarkers
- salivary gland cancer
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology