Investigation of the Efficacy and Safety of Nivolumab in Recurrent and Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Hiroki Sato; Chihiro Fushimi; Takuro Okada; Takashi Matsuki; Takahito Kondo; G O Omura; Kouki Miura; Taku Yamashita; Isaku Okamoto; Kiyoaki Tsukahara

doi:10.21873/invivo.12127

Investigation of the Efficacy and Safety of Nivolumab in Recurrent and Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

In Vivo. 2020 Sep-Oct;34(5):2967-2972. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12127.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan satohiro@tokyo-med.ac.jp.
² Department of Head and Neck Oncology and Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare Mita Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan.
⁵ Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.

Abstract

Background/aim: Nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy in patients with several types of recurrent and metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. We evaluated patients with R/M-NPC receiving nivolumab.

Patients and methods: Twelve patients with R/M-NPC were enrolled at 4 institutions. The primary endpoint was overall survival, and secondary endpoints were i) progression-free survival (PFS), ii) overall response rate (ORR), iii) disease control rate (DCR), and iv) treatment-related toxicity.

Results: The 1-year survival rate was 75.8%, the median PFS was 2.8 months, and the 1-year PFS rate was 33.3%. The best therapeutic response was complete response in 2, stable disease in 3 and progressive disease in 7 patients. The ORR of all patients was 16.7% and the DCR was 41.7%.

Conclusion: Nivolumab is a useful and relatively safe second-line systemic therapy in patients with R/M-NPC, and even patients who do not respond to nivolumab may survive for a long time.

Keywords: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; anti-programmed death-1 monoclonal antibody; immune-related adverse events; multicenter study; nivolumab.

MeSH terms

Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological* / adverse effects
Humans
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma / drug therapy
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms*
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy
Nivolumab / adverse effects
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
Nivolumab