Pembrolizumab With or Without Chemotherapy in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Updated Results of the Phase III KEYNOTE-048 Study

PURPOSEPembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy demonstrated efficacy in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in KEYNOTE-048. Post hoc analysis of long-term efficacy and progression-free survival on next-line therapy (PFS2) is presented.METHODSPatients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to pembrolizumab, pembrolizumab-chemotherapy, or cetuximab-chemotherapy. Efficacy was evaluated in programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) >= 20, CPS >= 1, and total populations, with no multiplicity or alpha adjustment.RESULTSThe median study follow-up was 45.0 months (interquartile range, 41.0-49.2; n = 882). At data cutoff (February 18, 2020), overall survival improved with pembrolizumab in the PD-L1 CPS >= 20 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.81) and CPS >= 1 populations (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.89) and was noninferior in the total population (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.97). Overall survival improved with pembrolizumab-chemotherapy in the PD-L1 CPS >= 20 (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.84), CPS >= 1 (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.78), and total (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.85) populations. The objective response rate on second-course pembrolizumab was 27.3% (3 of 11). PFS2 improved with pembrolizumab in the PD-L1 CPS >= 20 (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.84) and CPS >= 1 (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.95) populations and with pembrolizumab-chemotherapy in the PD-L1 CPS >= 20 (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.86), CPS >= 1 (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.81), and total (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.88) populations. PFS2 was similar after pembrolizumab and longer after pembrolizumab-chemotherapy on next-line taxanes and shorter after pembrolizumab and similar after pembrolizumab-chemotherapy on next-line nontaxanes.CONCLUSIONWith a 4-year follow-up, first-line pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy continued to demonstrate survival benefit versus cetuximab-chemotherapy in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Patients responded well to subsequent treatment after pembrolizumab-based therapy.

Automated summary

The study presents a post hoc analysis of the long-term efficacy and progression-free survival in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy as next-line therapy. The results demonstrate favorable clinical efficacy and progression-free survival with pembrolizumab and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy in patients with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) >= 20, CPS >= 1, and total populations. Subsequent treatments after pembrolizumab-based therapy also showed good efficacy.