Narrative review on therapeutic cancer vaccines for head and neck squamous cell carcinomaReview discusses cancer vaccines for head and neck cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for nearly one million new cases of cancer and approximately one half million deaths worldwide each year. The complexity of the tumor microenvironment, the lack of actionable target mutations as well as the increasing resistance of HNSCC to innate immunity pose challenges for development of effective treatment. Personalized cancer vaccines are emerging as a promising treatment strategy in HNSCC. Combining immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy with therapeutic cancer vaccines can enhance immune activation through stimulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses. The ability of therapeutic vaccines to illicit a robust immune response remains promising, however achieving consistent and durable clinical outcome remains a key challenge. In this article, we review the current and emerging strategies in therapeutic vaccination, with a particular focus on personalized cancer vaccines in the treatment of HNSCC.