The Efficacy of Immunotherapy and Clinical Utility of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Head and Neck

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Lithuania), 2023-12, Vol.59 (12), p.2111
• Main Authors: Naito, Takahiro, Noji, Rika, Kugimoto, Takuma, Kuroshima, Takeshi, Tomioka, Hirofumi, Fujiwara, Shun, Suenaga, Mitsukuni, Harada, Hiroyuki, Kano, Yoshihito
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adenoid cystic carcinoma; Axitinib; Biomarkers; C-CAT database; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cell death; comprehensive genomic profiling test; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic counseling; Head & neck cancer; head and neck; Immunotherapy; Medical research; Metastasis; Mutation; MYB; Oncology; Patients; Response rates; Squamous cell carcinoma; Tumors
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina59122111

: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the head and neck is generally slow-growing but has a high potential for local recurrence and metastasis to distant organs. There is currently no standard pharmacological treatment for recurrent/metastatic (R/M) ACC, and there are cases in which immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are administered for ACC according to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the efficacy of ICIs for ACC remains unclear, and the predictive biomarkers need to be elucidated. : The Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics (C-CAT) database enabled the retrospective but nationwide analysis of 263 cases of ACC of the head and neck. Then, we examined and reported four cases of ACC that received ICIs and comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in our institution. : The C-CAT database revealed that 59 cases out of 263 received ICIs, and the best response was 8% of objective response rate (ORR) and 53% of disease control rate (DCR) (complete response, CR 3%, partial response, PR 5%, stable disease, SD 44%, progressive disease, PD 19%, not evaluated, NE 29%). The tumor mutational burden (TMB) in ACC was lower overall compared to HNSCC and could not be useful in predicting the efficacy of ICIs. Some cases with structural variants showed the response to ICIs in the C-CAT database. A patient with fusion/rearrangement variants in our institution showed long-term stable disease. : ICI therapy is a potential treatment option, and the structural variant might be a candidate for predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy in patients with R/M ACC.