Current status and future prospects of combined immunotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a malignancy with a poor prognosis, and the majority of patients with HNSCC are diagnosed at later stages owing to its hidden anatomical location and atypical clinical symptoms. It is notably prone to recurrence and metastasis. The traditional treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Although multiple treatment strategies have been established, the prognosis remains poor because most patients develop resistance to traditional treatments. In recent years, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been shown to provide clinical benefits to these patients. Based on the promising results of both anti-EGFR therapy and immunotherapy, as well as the biological rationale for combining immunotherapy with anti-EGFR drugs, numerous preclinical and ongoing or completed clinical trials have explored the use of their synergistic effects. This review summarizes the feasibility of combining immunotherapy with EGFR inhibitors for HNSCC treatment and analyses the relevant biomarkers. It also summarizes the strategies for clinical applications. We found that immunotherapy and EGFR inhibitor combination therapy showed promise in treating patients with HNSCC and exhibited safety with acceptable adverse events. This review may provide valuable insights for the future development of treatments and formulation of therapeutic strategies for HNSCC, as well as useful information for the future design of clinical trials.