Overview

• A clinical trial at Providence Earl Chiles Cancer Center will test whether preserving tumor-draining lymph nodes during radiotherapy enhances the effects of subsequent immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients.
• Preclinical results published in Nature Communications showed that this treatment sequence achieved complete and durable tumor regression in 15 of 20 mice with oral cancer.
• Mechanistic studies revealed that preserved lymph nodes facilitated migration of activated CCR7⁺ dendritic cells into the immune system, triggering a stronger anti-tumor response.
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma accounts for about 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths worldwide each year under current standards of care.
• The collaboration between UC San Diego School of Medicine and Providence Earl Chiles Cancer Center aims to translate mouse-model synergy into improved patient outcomes by optimizing the order of therapies.