Adding an Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor to Standard Treatment for EBV-Positive Nasopharynx Cancer

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a unique subset of head and neck cancers characterized by association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). As in other mucosal head and neck cancers, PD1 inhibitors have demonstrated promising activity in recurrent and metastatic NPC, and toripalimab, an anti-PD1 antibody, was recently approved by the FDA based on demonstration of an overall survival benefit (JAMA 2023; 330:1961). Another anti-PD1 antibody, tislelizumab, was recently reported to significantly improve complete response rate after induction over placebo (J Clin Oncol 2024; 42:16 suppl:600).

Now, in a multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled, phase 3 study conducted in China, researchers evaluated the anti-PD1 antibody sintilimab; 425 patients…