Use of Immunotherapy In Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC)

Abstract

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) constitutes cancerous cells within the squamous epithelium of the larynx. Its most common risk factors include tobacco and alcohol use. Standard treatment for LSCC focuses on surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy; the rates of therapeutic efficacy rely upon proper early diagnosis of LSCC with decreased quality of life or efficacy at all in Stage LSCC. However, with immunotherapy paving the way for a new regimen in LSCC treatment by leveraging the body's immune system to recognize and undergo apoptosis of cancerous cells, this becomes a more promising direction. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) directed at the programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis have been shown to effectively activate immune system receptors located on LSCC tumor cells. Multiple studies reference the use of pembrolizumab and nivolumab to increase overall survival in various LSCC populations. Yet differences in response rate and immune-related adverse events (IRAEs) necessitate further research. At present, various clinical trials continue to assess new immunotherapy approaches such as ICIs combined with chemoradiation therapies and viral therapies, including oncolytic viruses, to expand the repertoire. Specific immunotherapy targeting LSCC is a critical option for treatment and organ preservation that traditional therapies cannot provide. Thus, studies using LSCC as sensitizers and future treatment candidates will suggest an increasingly vital role for immunotherapy as treatment opportunities increase.