Progress of radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for head and neck cancer / 肿瘤研究与临床

ABSTRACT

As immunotherapy has become the latest treatment for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC), radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy has become the focus of this field. It has been reported that radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy can produce synergistic effect, but the mechanism of synergistic effect has not been determined yet. Basic researches involve immune cells and immunoregulation of microenvironment, and clinical researches include timing of combination therapy, radiotherapy site, treatment mode and dose, and selection of beneficiary population. This paper reviews the progress of combined application of radiotherapy and immunotherapy in the field of basic and clinical treatment of head and neck cancer.