Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Older Patients: Are New Agents Bringing New Hope?

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Drugs & Aging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Head and neck cancer is a broad family of diseases, most of which are of squamous cell origin, affecting the epithelial mucosa lining the upper aerodigestive tract. They often recur or are progressive despite multimodality treatment approaches, resulting in a poor prognosis. Given the progressive aging of the global population, the probability to plan an active and eventually toxic treatment for an older patient, with either curative or palliative intent, can no longer be considered as an uncommon occurrence. A crucial point in offering a systemic treatment to older patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is that they are underrepresented in randomised clinical trials, and evidence-based guidelines are lacking, while, from a clinical point of view, these patients may have varying grades of resilience to anticancer treatments due to differences in their health, social and/or economic status. Our aim is to draw attention to the older patient population suffering from recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and to address some open questions, such as possible differences in epidemiology and biology compared with their younger counterparts; to highlight frailty and its components by discussing how to measure and use it to personalise treatment; to evaluate which outcomes should be best achieved in the older adult setting; finally, in the era of immunotherapy, to examine whether there are differences to be addressed when considering new treatments for older patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209–49.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Vigneswaran N, Williams MD. Epidemiologic trends in head and neck cancer and aids in diagnosis. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin N Am. 2014;26(2):123–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Park JO, Nam IC, Kim CS, Park SJ, Lee DH, Kim HB, et al. Sex differences in the prevalence of head and neck cancers: a 10-year follow-up study of 10 million healthy people. Cancers. 2022;14(10):2521.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Vineis P, Alavanja M, Buffler P, Fontham E, Franceschi S, Gao YT, et al. Tobacco and cancer: recent epidemiological evidence. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96(2):99–106.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Blot WJ, McLaughlin JK, Winn DM, Austin DF, Greenberg RS, Preston-Martin S, et al. Smoking and drinking in relation to oral and pharyngeal cancer. Cancer Res. 1988;48(11):3282–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gillison ML. Current topics in the epidemiology of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers. Head Neck. 2007;29(8):779–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ang KK, Harris J, Wheeler R, Weber R, Rosenthal DI, Nguyen-Tân PF, et al. Human papillomavirus and survival of patients with oropharyngeal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(1):24–35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Pulte D, Brenner H. Changes in survival in head and neck cancers in the late 20th and early 21st century: a period analysis. Oncologist. 2010;15(9):994–1001.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Szturz P, Vermorken JB. Treatment of elderly patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Front Oncol [Internet]. 2016. http://journal.frontiersin.org/Article/https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2016.00199/abstract. Cited 2022 Sept 11.

  10. Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, Mariotto A, Miller BA, Feuer EJ, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2004, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD. https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2004/, based on November 2006 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2007.

  11. Ferris RL, Blumenschein G, Fayette J, Guigay J, Colevas AD, Licitra L, et al. Nivolumab for recurrent squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(19):1856–67.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Burtness B, Harrington KJ, Greil R, Soulières D, Tahara M, de Castro G, et al. Pembrolizumab alone or with chemotherapy versus cetuximab with chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (KEYNOTE-048): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study. Lancet. 2019;394(10212):1915–28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Vermorken JB, Mesia R, Rivera F, Remenar E, Kawecki A, Rottey S, et al. Platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab in head and neck cancer. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(11):1116–27.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, Newman AB, Hirsch C, Gottdiener J, et al. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2001;56(3):M146–57.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Mountzios G. Optimal management of the elderly patient with head and neck cancer: issues regarding surgery, irradiation and chemotherapy. World J Clin Oncol. 2015;6(1):7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Balducci L. Management of cancer in the elderly. Oncology (Williston Park). 2006;20(2):135–43 (discussion 144, 146, 151–2).

  17. Taylor MA, Switchenko J, Stokes W, Patel MR, McDonald M, Steuer C, et al. Incidence trends of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in the aging population––a SEER-based analysis from 2000 to 2016. Cancer Med. 2021;10(17):6070–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Rettig EM, Zaidi M, Faraji F, Eisele DW, El Asmar M, Fung N, et al. Oropharyngeal cancer is no longer a disease of younger patients and the prognostic advantage of Human Papillomavirus is attenuated among older patients: analysis of the National Cancer Database. Oral Oncol. 2018;83:147–53.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Jones PA. DNA methylation errors and cancer. Cancer Res. 1996;56(11):2463–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Jones PA. Functions of DNA methylation: islands, start sites, gene bodies and beyond. Nat Rev Genet. 2012;13(7):484–92.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Stransky N, Egloff AM, Tward AD, Kostic AD, Cibulskis K, Sivachenko A, et al. The mutational landscape of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Science. 2011;333(6046):1157–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Milholland B, Auton A, Suh Y, Vijg J. Age-related somatic mutations in the cancer genome. Oncotarget. 2015;6(28):24627–35.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Meucci S, Keilholz U, Tinhofer I, Ebner OA. Mutational load and mutational patterns in relation to age in head and neck cancer. Oncotarget. 2016;7(43):69188–99.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Hayflick L, Moorhead PS. The serial cultivation of human diploid cell strains. Exp Cell Res. 1961;25:585–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4827(61)90192-6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Lozano-Torres B, et al. The chemistry of senescence. Nat Rev Chem. 2019;3:426–41.

  26. Mavrogonatou E, Pratsinis H, Kletsas D. The role of senescence in cancer development. Semin Cancer Biol. 2020;62:182–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Martínez‐Zamudio RI, Dewald HK, Vasilopoulos T, Gittens‐Williams L, Fitzgerald‐Bocarsly P, Herbig U. Senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase reveals the abundance of senescent CD8+ T cells in aging humans. Aging Cell [Internet]. 2021;20(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13344. Cited 24 Oct 2022.

  28. Pignon T, Horiot JC, Van den Bogaert W, Van Glabbeke M, Scalliet P. No age limit for radical radiotherapy in head and neck tumours. Eur J Cancer. 1996;32(12):2075–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Devons CAJ. Comprehensive geriatric assessment: making the most of the aging years. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care [Internet]. 2002;5(1). https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Fulltext/2002/01000/Comprehensive_geriatric_assessment__making_the.4.aspx.

  30. Overcash JA, Beckstead J, Moody L, Extermann M, Cobb S. The abbreviated comprehensive geriatric assessment (aCGA) for use in the older cancer patient as a prescreen: scoring and interpretation. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2006;59(3):205–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Saliba D, Elliott M, Rubenstein LZ, Solomon DH, Young RT, Kamberg CJ, et al. The vulnerable elders survey: a tool for identifying vulnerable older people in the community. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2001;49(12):1691–9. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49281.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Hurria A, Togawa K, Mohile SG, Owusu C, Klepin HD, Gross CP, et al. Predicting chemotherapy toxicity in older adults with cancer: a prospective multicenter study. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(25):3457–65.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Extermann M, Boler I, Reich RR, Lyman GH, Brown RH, DeFelice J, et al. Predicting the risk of chemotherapy toxicity in older patients: The Chemotherapy Risk Assessment Scale for High-Age Patients (CRASH) score: CRASH Score. Cancer. 2012;118(13):3377–86.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Hurria A, Mohile S, Gajra A, Klepin H, Muss H, Chapman A, et al. Validation of a prediction tool for chemotherapy toxicity in older adults with cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(20):2366–71.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Zhang J, Liao X, Feng J, Yin T, Liang Y. Prospective comparison of the value of CRASH and CARG toxicity scores in predicting chemotherapy toxicity in geriatric oncology. Oncol Lett [Internet]. 2019. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2019.10840. Cited 24 Oct 2022.

  36. McDowell L, Rischin D, Gough K, Henson C. Health-related quality of life, psychosocial distress and unmet needs in older patients with head and neck cancer. Front Oncol. 2022;15(12): 834068.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Bhattacharyya N. A matched survival analysis for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the elderly. Laryngoscope. 2003;113(2):368–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Stewart JSW, Cohen EEW, Licitra L, Van Herpen CML, Khorprasert C, Soulieres D, et al. Phase III study of gefitinib compared with intravenous methotrexate for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(11):1864–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Machiels JP, Subramanian S, Ruzsa A, Repassy G, Lifirenko I, Flygare A, et al. Zalutumumab plus best supportive care versus best supportive care alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy: an open-label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2011;12(4):333–43.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Argiris A, Ghebremichael M, Gilbert J, Lee JW, Sachidanandam K, Kolesar JM, et al. Phase III randomized, placebo-controlled trial of docetaxel with or without gefitinib in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer: an eastern cooperative oncology group trial. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31(11):1405–14.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Vermorken JB, Stöhlmacher-Williams J, Davidenko I, Licitra L, Winquist E, Villanueva C, et al. Cisplatin and fluorouracil with or without panitumumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SPECTRUM): an open-label phase 3 randomised trial. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(8):697–710.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Machiels JPH, Haddad RI, Fayette J, Licitra LF, Tahara M, Vermorken JB, et al. Afatinib versus methotrexate as second-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck progressing on or after platinum-based therapy (LUX-Head & Neck 1): an open-label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16(5):583–94.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Bossi P, Miceli R, Locati LD, Ferrari D, Vecchio S, Moretti G, et al. A randomized, phase 2 study of cetuximab plus cisplatin with or without paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Ann Oncol. 2017;28(11):2820–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Cohen EEW, Soulières D, Le Tourneau C, Dinis J, Licitra L, Ahn MJ, et al. Pembrolizumab versus methotrexate, docetaxel, or cetuximab for recurrent or metastatic head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (KEYNOTE-040): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study. Lancet. 2019;393(10167):156–67.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Ferris RL, Haddad R, Even C, Tahara M, Dvorkin M, Ciuleanu TE, et al. Durvalumab with or without tremelimumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: EAGLE, a randomized, open-label phase III study. Ann Oncol. 2020;31(7):942–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Guigay J, Aupérin A, Fayette J, Saada-Bouzid E, Lafond C, Taberna M, et al. Cetuximab, docetaxel, and cisplatin versus platinum, fluorouracil, and cetuximab as first-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (GORTEC 2014-01 TPExtreme): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2021; S1470204520307555.

  47. Martinez-Tapia C, Canoui-Poitrine F, Bastuji-Garin S, Soubeyran P, Mathoulin-Pelissier S, Tournigand C, et al. Optimizing the G8 screening tool for older patients with cancer: diagnostic performance and validation of a six-item version. Oncologist. 2016;21(2):188–95.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  48. Clement PM, Gauler T, Machiels JP, Haddad RI, Fayette J, Licitra LF, et al. Afatinib versus methotrexate in older patients with second-line recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: subgroup analysis of the LUX-Head & Neck 1 trial. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(8):1585–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  49. Saba NF, Blumenschein G, Guigay J, Licitra L, Fayette J, Harrington KJ, et al. Nivolumab versus investigator’s choice in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: efficacy and safety in CheckMate 141 by age. Oral Oncol. 2019;96:7–14.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  50. Segal NH, Ou SHI, Balmanoukian A, Fury MG, Massarelli E, Brahmer JR, et al. Safety and efficacy of durvalumab in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: results from a phase I/II expansion cohort. Eur J Cancer. 2019;109:154–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Siu LL, Even C, Mesía R, Remenar E, Daste A, Delord JP, et al. Safety and efficacy of durvalumab with or without tremelimumab in patients with PD-L1–low/negative recurrent or metastatic HNSCC: the phase 2 CONDOR randomized clinical trial. JAMA Oncol. 2019;5(2):195.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Klinghammer K, Lorini L, Nevens D, Simon C, Machiels JP, Bossi P. Treatment stratification in first-line recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, on behalf of the EORTC Young Investigator Head and Neck Cancer Group. Front Oncol. 2022;27(12): 730785.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Betof AS, Nipp RD, Giobbie-Hurder A, Johnpulle RAN, Rubin K, Rubinstein SM, et al. Impact of age on outcomes with immunotherapy for patients with melanoma. Oncologist. 2017;22(8):963–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  54. Elias R, Giobbie-Hurder A, McCleary NJ, Ott P, Hodi FS, Rahma O. Efficacy of PD-1 & PD-L1 inhibitors in older adults: a meta-analysis. J Immunother Cancer. 2018;6(1):26.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  55. Chau B, LaGuardia J, Hui C, Ye L, Xing Y, Massarelli E, et al. Narrative review of immunotherapy and radiation therapy in elderly patients. Transl Cancer Res. 2021;10(5):2620–31.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  56. Nosaki K, Saka H, Hosomi Y, Baas P, de Castro G, Reck M, et al. Safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab monotherapy in elderly patients with PD-L1–positive advanced non–small-cell lung cancer: Pooled analysis from the KEYNOTE-010, KEYNOTE-024, and KEYNOTE-042 studies. Lung Cancer. 2019;135:188–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Hussain N, Naeem M, Pinato DJ. Concomitant medications and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for cancer: causation or association? Hum Vacc Immunother. 2021;17(1):55–61.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Mroue A, Moujaess E, Kourie HR, Azar H, Finianos S, Chelala D. Exploring the knowledge gap of immune checkpoint inhibitors in chronic renal failure: a systematic review of the literature. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2021;157: 103169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Kadambi S, Loh KP, Dunne R, Magnuson A, Maggiore R, Zittel J, et al. Older adults with cancer and their caregivers—current landscape and future directions for clinical care. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2020;17(12):742–55.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  60. Saleh K, Auperin A, Martin N, Borcoman E, Torossian N, Iacob M, et al. Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in elderly patients (≥ 70 years) with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Eur J Cancer. 2021;157:190–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Vanbutsele G, Pardon K, Van Belle S, Surmont V, De Laat M, Colman R, et al. Effect of early and systematic integration of palliative care in patients with advanced cancer: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Oncol. 2018;19(3):394–404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Greer JA, Pirl WF, Jackson VA, Muzikansky A, Lennes IT, Heist RS, et al. Effect of early palliative care on chemotherapy use and end-of-life care in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(4):394–400.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Kavalieratos D, Corbelli J, Zhang D, Dionne-Odom JN, Ernecoff NC, Hanmer J, et al. Association between palliative care and patient and caregiver outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2016;316(20):2104.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  64. Temel JS, Jackson VA, Billings JA, Dahlin C, Block SD, Buss MK, et al. Phase II study: integrated palliative care in newly diagnosed advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(17):2377–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Temel JS, Greer JA, El-Jawahri A, Pirl WF, Park ER, Jackson VA, et al. Effects of early integrated palliative care in patients with lung and GI cancer: a randomized clinical trial. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35(8):834–41.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Maggiorani D, Beauséjour C. Senescence and aging: does it impact cancer immunotherapies? Cells. 2021;10(7):1568.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  67. Søby S, Gothelf A, Gyldenkerne N, Bentzen J, Nowicka-Matus K, Tramm T, et al. Efficacy of nivolumab as second line treatment for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a national DAHANCA cohort study. Acta Oncol. 2022;61(8):972–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Singh P, McDonald L, Waldenberger D, Welslau M, Heyde E, Gauler T, et al. Pooled analysis of nivolumab treatment in patients with recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the United States and Germany. Head Neck. 2021;43(11):3540–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Kugel CH 3rd, Douglass SM, Webster MR, Kaur A, Liu Q, Yin X, et al. Age correlates with response to anti-PD1, reflecting age-related differences in intratumoural effector and regulatory T-cell populations. Clin Cancer Res. 2018;24(21):5347–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  70. Cillo AR, Kürten CHL, Tabib T, Qi Z, Onkar S, Wang T, et al. Immune landscape of viral- and carcinogen-driven head and neck cancer. Immunity. 2020;52(1):183-199.e9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  71. Saâda-Bouzid E, Defaucheux C, Karabajakian A, Coloma VP, Servois V, Paoletti X, et al. Hyperprogression during anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Ann Oncol. 2017;28(7):1605–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Economopoulou P, Anastasiou M, Papaxoinis G, Spathas N, Spathis A, Oikonomopoulos N, et al. Patterns of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in association with genomic and clinical features in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Cancers. 2021;13(2):286.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  73. Petrova MP, Donev IS, Radanova MA, Eneva MI, Dimitrova EG, Valchev GN, et al. Sarcopenia and high NLR are associated with the development of hyperprogressive disease after second-line pembrolizumab in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Clin Exp Immunol. 2020;202(3):353–62.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  74. Chen DS, Mellman I. Elements of cancer immunity and the cancer–immune set point. Nature. 2017;541(7637):321–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. van Holstein Y, Kapiteijn E, Bastiaannet E, van den Bos F, Portielje J, de Glas NA. Efficacy and adverse events of immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors in older patients with cancer. Drugs Aging. 2019;36(10):927–38.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  76. Abu-Sbeih H, Ali FS, Wang X, Mallepally N, Chen E, Altan M, et al. Early introduction of selective immunosuppressive therapy associated with favorable clinical outcomes in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor–induced colitis. J Immunother Cancer. 2019;7(1):93.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  77. Harrington KJ, Burtness B, Greil R, Soulières D, Tahara M, de Castro G Jr, et al. Pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: updated results of the phase III KEYNOTE-048 study. J Clin Oncol. 2022:JCO2102508. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.21.02508.

  78. Siano M, Infante G, Resteghini C, Cau MC, Alfieri S, Bergamini C, et al. Outcome of recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer patients after first line platinum and cetuximab therapy. Oral Oncol. 2017;69:33–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy

    Maria Cossu Rocca

  2. Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, ASST Spedali Civili, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Luigi Lorini & Paolo Bossi

  3. Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland

    Petr Szturz

  4. Department of Medical Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium

    Jan B. Vermorken

  5. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Jan B. Vermorken

Authors
  1. Maria Cossu Rocca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luigi Lorini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Petr Szturz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paolo Bossi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jan B. Vermorken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Cossu Rocca.

Ethics declarations

Funding

No external funding was used in the preparation of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

Dr. M. Cossu Rocca: Advisory board or conference honoraria with Merck Sharp & Dohme. Dr. L. Lorini: Nothing to declare. Dr. P. Szturz: has had in the last 3 years or has advisory relationships with Merck-Serono, Servier and BMS. Dr. P. Bossi: Advisory board or conference honoraria: Merck, Sanofi-Regeneron, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Sun Pharma, Angelini, Nestlè. Dr. J. B. Vermorken participates in advisory boards of: Astellas, Merck Sharp & Dome Corp, Nanobiotix, NEKTAR, PCI Biotech, WntResearch, SMS-Oncology; Lecturer fee from: Merck-Serono, MSD.

Ethics approval

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Availability of data and material

Not applicable.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Author contributions

Authors MCR, LL and PB contributed equally to the primary concept and to the draft of the manuscript. Authors JBV and PS revised the manuscript. All Authors read and approved the final manuscript. Finally all Authors agree to be accountable for their work.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cossu Rocca, M., Lorini, L., Szturz, P. et al. Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Older Patients: Are New Agents Bringing New Hope?. Drugs Aging 40, 135–143 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-022-01000-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-022-01000-6

Search

Navigation