Synergies Radiotherapy-Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancers. A New Concept for Radiotherapy Target Volumes—“Immunological Dose Painting”

Abstract

The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and definitive radiotherapy is investigated for the multimodal treatment of cisplatin non-eligible locally advanced head and neck cancers (HNC). In the case of recurrent and metastatic HNC, immunotherapy has shown benefit over the EXTREME protocol, being already considered the standard treatment. One of the biggest challenges of multimodal treatment is to establish the optimal therapy sequence so that the synergistic effect is maximal. Thus, superior results were obtained for the administration of anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy followed by hypofractionated radiotherapy, but the anti-PD-L1 therapy demonstrates the maximum potential of radio-sensitization of the tumor in case of concurrent administration. The synergistic effect of radiotherapy–immunotherapy (RT–IT) has been demonstrated in clinical practice, with an overall response rate of about 18% for HNC. Given the demonstrated potential of radiotherapy to activate the immune system through already known mechanisms, it is necessary to identify biomarkers that direct the “nonresponders” of immunotherapy towards a synergistic RT–IT stimulation strategy. Stimulation of the immune system by irradiation can convert “nonresponder” to “responder”. With the development of modern techniques, re-irradiation is becoming an increasingly common option for patients who have previously been treated with higher doses of radiation. In this context, radiotherapy in combination with immunotherapy, both in the advanced local stage and in recurrent/metastatic of HNC radiotherapy, could evolve from the “first level” of knowledge (i.e., ballistic precision, dose conformity and homogeneity) to “level two” of “biological dose painting” (in which the concept of tumor heterogeneity and radio-resistance supports the need for doses escalation based on biological criteria), and finally to the “third level“ ofthe new concept of “immunological dose painting”. The peculiarity of this concept is that the radiotherapy target volumes and tumoricidal dose can be completely reevaluated, taking into account the immune-modulatory effect of irradiation. In this case, the tumor target volume can include even the tumor microenvironment or a partial volume of the primary tumor or metastasis, not all the gross and microscopic disease. Tumoricidal biologically equivalent dose (BED) may be completely different from the currently estimated values, radiotherapy treating the tumor in this case indirectly by boosting the immune response. Thus, the clinical target volume (CTV) can be replaced with a new immunological-clinical target volume (ICTV) for patients who benefit from the RT–IT association (Image 1).

Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy as an Antitumoral Long-Range Weapon—A Partnership with Unsolved Challenges: Dose, Fractionation, Volumes, Therapeutic Sequence

“…The concept of immunological-clinical target volume (ICTV) and irradiation of partial volumes, contradicting the classical theory of target volumes, was previously postulated by Mireștean and collaborators in the article ‘Synergies Radiotherapy-Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancers. A New Concept for Radiotherapy Target Volumes-“Immunological Dose Painting” [ 23 ]. Adjustments in the classical theory of target volumes also include the indication of elective irradiation of lymph nodes.…”

Safety and potential increased risk of toxicity of radiotherapy combined immunotherapy strategy

“…In the case of recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancers, anti-PDL1 therapy demonstrates the maximum potential of radio-sensitization of the tumor in case of concurrent administration. 87 Keynote001, Pacific trial, and PEMBRO-RT Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial are examples where RT was sequentially followed by anti PD1/anti-PDL1 antibody in the pulmonary malignance. All of them suggested RT prior to anti PD1/anti PDL1 antibody strategy enhance the tumor control and is well tolerated without increasing incidence of >grade 3 AE.…”

“…Besides these, for recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancers, superior results were obtained for the administration of anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy followed by hypofractionated RT. 87 A phase I/II study 61 explored patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and found ipilimumab concurrently combined with RT (a single dose of 8 Gy 24-48 h before the first ipilimumab dose) induce clinical antitumor activity with favorable disease control and manageable AEs. However, there are some retrospective researches dealing with the sequence of ICI +RT combination therapy and coming up with controversial results.…”

“…In the context of RT in combination with immunotherapy, new concept of immunological dose painting is introduced (the third level). 87 Given the immune-modulatory effect of radiation, the tumor target volume could be defined as the TME or portions of tumors, instead of all the gross and microscopic lesions.…”

p53 Modulates Radiosensitivity in Head and Neck Cancers—From Classic to Future Horizons

“…Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor active in the treatment of multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma, has been evaluated in cell lines in HNSCC HPV +, demonstrating its ability to restore p53 function and hypothetical restore radiosensitivity via p21/p53 transactivation. However, in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy with Cisplatin, Bortezomide has no radiosensitivity and chemo-sensitivity modulator effect on HNSCC HPV+ and HPV- cell lines [ 2 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 ].…”