NEWLY APPROVED HEAD AND NECK CANCER TREATMENT IMPROVES CARE FOR FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS

Head & Neck — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:40:39 +0000

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended an immunotherapy to treat advanced head and neck cancer for use on the NHS in England.
In final draft guidance, published on 24 March 2026, NICE approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda; MSD), an IV infusion for patients with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA HNSCC).
Commenting on the recommendation, a spokesperson for MSD said it was the “first time a new treatment option has shown improved outcomes above the standard of care in LA HNSCC in over 20 years, and is the first recommended perioperative immunotherapy for LA HNSCC in the UK”.
NICE recommended the treatment for use before surgery, after surgery with radiotherapy and with or without chemotherapy.
Head and neck cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK, with 12,800 new cases annually.
Of all head and neck cancers, 90% of these are squamous cell carcinomas, which means they develop from epithelial cells that line areas of the head and neck, such as the mouth, throat and voice box.
Standard treatments for the head and neck cancer include surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
Tamara Kahn, chair of the Head and Neck Coalition, a group of 15 members comprising charities, support groups, healthcare associations and other stakeholders, said: “This recommendation is an important moment for people living with head and neck cancer in England. Treatment can be gruelling, and many people are left dealing with lasting challenges in speaking, eating and everyday interaction long after treatment ends.

For the head and neck cancer community, this brings real hope, not just in treating the cancer but in the possibility that fewer people may face the most severe long-term effects after treatment.”

Full article: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/newly-approved-head-and-neck-cancer-treatment-improves-care-for-first-time-in-more-than-20-years

GLOBAL TRIAL SHOWS IMMUNOTERAPY DRUG FIGHT HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Head & Neck — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 09:22:13 +0000

GLOBAL TRIAL SHOWS IMMUNOTERAPY DRUG FIGHT HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, stimulates the immune system to fight cancer, targeting a specific protein that enables the drug to wipe out cancer cells. This is the biggest breakthrough in two decades.

The drug kept cancer at bay in some patients for an average of five years, compared with 30 months when added to standard of care, a clinical trial found.

The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the world’s largest cancer conference.

The trial involved more than 700 patients across 192 sites in 24 countries.

Researchers around the world tested the drug in patients with newly diagnosed locally advanced head and neck cancers.

Of 714 patients in the trial, 363 received pembrolizumab followed by standard of care, and 351 received only the current standard of care – surgery to remove their tumour followed by radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy.

Standard of care has not changed for these patients in more than 20 years, and more than half are unlikely to survive for five years.

The results of this trial show that pembrolizumab dramatically increases the duration of disease remission for years longer than the current standard treatments. It works particularly well for those with high levels of immune markers, but it’s really exciting to see that the treatment improves outcomes for all head and neck cancer patients, regardless of these levels

Read more https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/31/neck-and-head-cancer-breakthrough-drug-

Pembrolizumab – Head and Neck Network

NEWLY APPROVED HEAD AND NECK CANCER TREATMENT IMPROVES CARE FOR FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS

GLOBAL TRIAL SHOWS IMMUNOTERAPY DRUG FIGHT HEAD AND NECK CANCER

GLOBAL TRIAL SHOWS IMMUNOTERAPY DRUG FIGHT HEAD AND NECK CANCER