{
  "abstract": "Neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy (NACI) demonstrates promising efficacy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC), yet its effect on postoperative radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy (PORT/POCRT) remains undefined. This open-label phase 2 study (NCT05476965) assessed NACI efficacy and its role in guiding adaptive PORT/POCRT. Primary endpoint was major pathologic response (MPR) rate (0-10% residual tumor). Secondary endpoints are overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events. Thirty resectable stage III–IVB HNSCC patients received sintilimab plus chemotherapy, followed by surgery and response-adapted PORT/POCRT. Patients with MPR received low-dose PORT (0–54 Gy), while patients without MPR received standard PORT/POCRT. The MPR rate was 59.1% (38.7%-76.7%). The MPR with low-dose group showed higher 2-year OS (100% vs. 77.8%) and DFS (100% vs. 55.6%) with fewer radiotherapy-related adverse events than non-MPR with standard-dose group (all P < 0.05). Adaptive radiation de-escalation maintains survival while reducing toxicity, representing a new strategy for LA-HNSCC.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Medical Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430071 Wuhan, P.R. China",
    "Department of Radiation Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430071 Wuhan, P.R. China",
    "Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430071 Wuhan, P.R. China",
    "Department of Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430071 Wuhan, P.R. China",
    "Department of Nutrition, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430071 Wuhan, P.R. China",
    "Department of Radiology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430071 Wuhan, P.R. China"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yu Qian"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Liu Hu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Liang Jiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Manxiang Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Xin Jin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Wenyou Deng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Kun Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shuang Qin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Desheng Hu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jian Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yuan Wu",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5431-0707"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dpz7ja2v7pfz3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-77698-4",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13714265/",
  "id": "dpz7ja2v7pfz3",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-77698-4",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2733|Head and Neck Cancer Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214590927",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-77698-4_reference.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13714265",
  "pmid": "42946703",
  "published": "2026-09-28",
  "publisher": "Nature Publishing Group",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dpz7ja2v7pfz3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T12:21:48Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13714265",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-77698-4"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2733|Head and Neck Cancer Studies",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Response-Adapted Postoperative Therapy Following Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a phase II trial",
  "title_text": "Response-Adapted Postoperative Therapy Following Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a phase II trial",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:21:48Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dpz7ja2v7pfz3",
  "venue": "Nature Communications",
  "versions": []
}