Background: In the Phase-III clinical trial, CheckMate 141, nivolumab significantly improved survival versus standard of care in patients with platinum-refractory recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN).
Methods: This pooled analysis investigated the real-world effectiveness of nivolumab, following prior platinum-based therapy, in patients with R/M SCCHN from the United States (US) Flatiron Health database and German HANNA prospective observational study.
Results: Overall, 782 patients (56% US; 44% Germany) were included. Median overall survival (OS) was 8.71 months, and progression-free survival was 4.11 months. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status 0 or 1, platinum sensitivity, and older age were associated with longer OS, in which number of prior lines of therapy had no significant effect.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate survival benefits of nivolumab in patients with R/M SCCHN in the real-world setting. The observed real-world effectiveness of nivolumab aligns with the efficacy of nivolumab in CheckMate 141.
Keywords: PD-1 targeting agent; SCCHN; nivolumab; overall survival; progression-free survival.
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