Immunotherapy response in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck with cranial nerve involvement.

Abstract

Metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) can be treated with immunotherapy (IO). Cranial nerve involvement (CNI) is uncommon in cSCC and is a poor prognostic factor. Our aim is to describe how patients with CNI respond to IO monotherapy and/or as an adjunct to RT. Under an IRB approved protocol, patients with histologically proven cSCC of the head and neck with CNI treated with IO were retrospectively reviewed. Twelve patients were included and received cemiplimab or pembrolizumab. Eight patients had CNI at diagnosis, and 4 at time of recurrence after non-IO therapy. Best responses were complete response (1), partial response (7), stable disease (1), progressive disease (2), and pending response (1). Nine patients are alive, 6 of which remain on IO. In this cohort, IO showed clinical response in 83% of patients, indicating IO can be an effective monotherapy, reserving RT for instances of local failure after IO.