Dr. Jonas de Souza on the Impact of Pembrolizumab Approval in Head and Neck Cancer

Jonas de Souza, MD, assistant professor of medicine, University of Chicago, discusses the approval of pembrolizumab for relapsed head and neck cancer patients who are platinum-refractory.

This was a great addition to the armamentarium for head and neck cancer, says de Souza. Other trials are now assessing additional immunotherapies in the head and neck cancer space.

Pembrolizumab fills a significant unmet need for patients that are refractory to platinum-based chemotherapy, says de Souza. To have a drug that results in less side effects for patients it extremely beneficial, he says.

Pembrolizumab is now being investigated in the frontline setting for metastatic patients.