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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1522820
This article is part of the Research Topic The Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy for Head and Neck Tumors View all 12 articles

Understanding the Tumor Microenvironment for Personalized Immunotherapy in Early-Onset Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Provisionally accepted
  • Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Early-onset head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has been increasingly observed in recent years, exhibiting distinct tumor behavior and a unique tumor microenvironment (TME) compared to older age groups. Studies suggest that early-onset HNSCC is associated with specific risk factors and prognostic outcomes, while the underlying mechanisms driving these age-related differences remain unclear. In this review, we systematically examined original studies involving young HNSCC patient samples, focusing on the characteristics of the TME and potential for personalized immunotherapy. While further evidence is needed, our findings indicate that the TME in early-onset HNSCC often exhibits higher aggressiveness and immune suppression. Consequently, tailored IO approaches may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for this distinct patient population.

    Keywords: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Early-onset, Young, Tumor Microenvironment, Immunotherapy

    Received: 05 Nov 2024; Accepted: 04 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Shan, He, Yan and Huang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Weijia Huang, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.