Gutiérrez Calderón, VanesaCantero González, AlexandraGálvez Carvajal, LauraAguilar Lizarralde, YolandaRueda Domínguez, Antonio2022-09-302022-09-302021-02-23Gutiérrez Calderón V, Cantero González A, Gálvez Carvajal L, Aguilar Lizarralde Y, Rueda Domínguez A. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable head and neck cancer: oral cavity carcinoma as a potential research model. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2021 Feb 23;13:17588359209840611758-8340http://hdl.handle.net/10668/4193Squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity (OCSCC) accounts for approximately 25% of cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Tobacco and alcohol consumption are the main risk factors for both cancers. Surgical resection, combined with adjuvant radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy in patients with high risk of relapse, is the key element in management in the initial stages. However, despite the availability of aggressive multidisciplinary treatments, advanced resectable OCSCC carries poor prognosis; only half of the patients are disease-free 5 years after the surgery. Immunotherapy based on the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors has been proven to be effective in a wide variety of tumours, including recurrent and metastatic HNSCC. These positive results resulted in investigations into its effectiveness in earlier stages of the disease with OCSCC emerging as an interesting research model because of the accessible location of the tumours. This article reviews the potential advantages of emerging immunotherapeutic agents [mainly monoclonal antibodies against programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitors] as neoadjuvant treatment for OCSCC at locoregional stages as well as the ongoing clinical trials, challenges in evaluating tumour response, and possible predictive biomarkers of response with highlights regarding the role of oral microbiota as modulators of immune response. The efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1 drugs in these patients have been proven in preliminary trials. If there is a decrease in the relapse rate and an improvement in the overall survival after surgical resection in ongoing trials, preoperative immunotherapy may be established as a treatment option for patients with early stages of the disease.enAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 InternacionalAtribución-NoComercial 4.0 Internacionalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Head and neck cancerImmunotherapyNeoadjuvantOral cavityProgrammed cell death-1PrognosisMicrobiotaNeoplasias de cabeza y cuelloInmunoterapiaTerapia neoadyuvanteBocaMuerte celularMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::Animals::Chordata::Vertebrates::Mammals::Primates::Haplorhini::Catarrhini::Hominidae::HumansMedical Subject Headings::Diseases::Neoplasms::Neoplasms by Site::Head and Neck NeoplasmsMedical Subject Headings::Chemicals and Drugs::Biological Factors::Biological Markers::Antigens, Differentiation::Antigens, CD::Programmed Cell Death 1 ReceptorMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::Plants::Viridiplantae::Streptophyta::Embryophyta::Angiosperms::Solanaceae::TobaccoMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Therapeutics::Combined Modality Therapy::Neoadjuvant TherapyMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Therapeutics::Radiotherapy::Radiotherapy, AdjuvantMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Therapeutics::Biological Therapy::Immunomodulation::ImmunotherapyMedical Subject Headings::Chemicals and Drugs::Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins::Proteins::Blood Proteins::Immunoproteins::Immunoglobulins::Antibodies::Antibodies, MonoclonalMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Diagnosis::PrognosisMedical Subject Headings::Phenomena and Processes::Cell Physiological Phenomena::Cell Physiological Processes::Cell Death::ApoptosisMedical Subject Headings::Psychiatry and Psychology::Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms::Behavior::Drinking Behavior::Alcohol DrinkingMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Therapeutics::Combined Modality Therapy::ChemoradiotherapyMedical Subject Headings::Phenomena and Processes::Immune System Phenomena::ImmunityMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Epidemiologic Methods::Statistics as Topic::Probability::Risk::Risk FactorsMedical Subject Headings::Phenomena and Processes::Microbiological Phenomena::MicrobiotaMedical Subject Headings::Anatomy::Body Regions::Head::Face::MouthMedical Subject Headings::Diseases::Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms::Pathologic Processes::Disease Attributes::Recurrencereview article33747147open access10.1177/17588359209840611758-8359PMC7905482