University of California San Diego researchers have uncovered a promising new approach to treating head and neck cancers by precisely timing the delivery of radiation and immunotherapy to supercharge the immune system. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which causes nearly 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths worldwide annually, remains difficult to treat with conventional methods like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation often causing severe side effects and limited success.
In recent mouse studies, the UCSD team demonstrated that administering radiation in a way that preserves the tumor-draining lymph nodes—critical hubs for activating immune response—followed by immunotherapy results in complete and lasting tumor remission. This effect occurred in 75% of treated animals and was linked to enhanced migration of activated CCR7+ dendritic cells into lymph nodes, which robustly stimulate tumor-fighting immune activity.
The findings highlight the vital biological role of tumor-draining lymph nodes and the importance of optimizing therapy sequencing to maximize immune system engagement against tumors. Ongoing clinical trials at UCSD and Providence Earl Chiles Cancer Center are now testing this strategy in human patients, aiming to improve outcomes for those with aggressive or treatment-resistant HNSCC.
This innovative synergy between radiation and immunotherapy, with clinical trials underway, marks a potential breakthrough in cancer treatment — moving toward therapies that not only destroy tumors but also enlist the body’s own defenses more effectively.
The study was published recently in Nature Communications and led by Dr. Robert Saddawi-Konefka and Dr. Joseph Califano at UCSD School of Medicine, supported in part by grants from the National Cancer Institute.
This approach aligns with broader efforts in cancer research employing immunotherapy drugs like pembrolizumab and atezolizumab combined with targeted radiation to enhance patient responses, as reflected in multiple ongoing UCSD clinical trials exploring combinations of radiation, chemotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
This research embodies a growing paradigm shift in oncology—leveraging the immune system as a powerful ally against cancer through well-timed, integrated treatments.
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[1] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/immunotherapy
[2] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/carcinoma
[3] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/squamous-cell-carcinoma
[4] https://today.ucsd.edu/story/synergistic-treatment-approach-supercharges-cancer-immunotherapy
[5] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/cancer-general
[6] https://health.ucsd.edu/care/cancer/treatments/immunotherapy/
[7] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/head-and-neck-cancer
[8] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/cancer-metastatic
[9] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/solid-tumor
[10] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/small-cell-carcinoma