Therapeutic approaches for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma–An update on clinical trials

•Tobacco consumption and infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) are the major risk factors of the Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).•In current clinical trials the three main therapeutic approaches being employed for the treatment of HNSCC include Chemotherapy, Molecular Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy.•Immunotherapy has emerged as the most promising treatment of choice for the treatment of HNSCC. Currently, three monoclonal antibodies viz. cetuximab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab have been approved by USFDA for the same. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common non-skin cancer with a tobacco consumption and infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) being major risk factors. Despite advances in numerous therapy modalities, survival rates for HNSCC have not improved considerably; a vast number of clinical outcomes have demonstrated that a combination strategy (the most well-known docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil) is the most effective treatment choice. Immunotherapy that targets immunological checkpoints is being tested in a number of clinical trials, either alone or in conjunction with chemotherapeutic or targeted therapeutic drugs. Various monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab and bevacizumab, which target the EGFR and VEGFR, respectively, as well as other signaling pathway inhibitors, such as temsirolimus and rapamycin, are also being studied for the treatment of HNSCC. We have reviewed the primary targets in active clinical studies in this study, with a particular focus on the medications and drug targets used. [Display omitted]