Antigen-specific immunotherapy in head and neck cancer

The survival rate for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is still unsatisfactory despite advancements in the fields of surgery and radiochemotherapy. The concept of immunotherapy is an exciting approach with the aim to permanently cure patients from HNSCC. In recent decades, the concept of immunotherapy has shifted from unspecific immune modulation to tumor-antigen-specific therapy realizing a targeted oncologic therapy. Recent studies have improved the immunotherapeutic methods and have taken advantage of newly discovered tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). However, in patients with HNSCC, many immunosuppressive mechanisms are activated and relevant effector cells are suppressed in their function, hampering any form of immunotherapy. A successful approach could induce an antitumoral immune response by restitution of the host immune system. Current specific antitumoral immunotherapy includes adoptive cell transfer, tumor vaccination, and the use of monoclonal antibodies (e.g., cetuximab). In the future, the prognosis of HNSCC patients could be significantly improved by these biologic therapies alone or in combination with conventional therapeutic regimens.