Determining PDL-1 Receptor Expression in Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma with Various Clinicoetiopathological Correlation: A Large Central India Study

Background: A multi-institutional study estimated that 65% of new head and neck cancers with locally advanced disease did not receive the benefit of optimal treatment, resulting in poor survival.The monoclonal antibodies anti-programmed death protein-1 (anti-PD-1) nivolumab and pembrolizumab are the first immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) approved for the treatment of platinum-refractory HNSCC recurrent/metastatic (R/M).Methods: More than a hundred blocks were collected, verified, sampled and sent for receptor status study.Results were analyzed and interpreted according to positivity for gender, locality, association with addiction history and site-wise distribution of primary cancer.Results: PDL1 receptor status was analyzed in females and males based on biopsy tissue blocks from head and neck cancer patients.Among 100 blocks, 27% were from females and 73% from males.Approximately 70% of females and 65.75% of males showed positive PDL1 receptor status, with variations observed across anatomical sites.Negative expression ranged from 26% in females to 31.5% in males.The distribution of PDL1 expression across different anatomical sites revealed varying patterns, providing insights for potential immunotherapy strategies.Conclusion: Conclusion: As compared to one of the largest sample sized studies of the European continent, the difference in the clinicopathological features can be attributed majorly to differences in the etiological factors as HPV infection dominates in the European continent while in the Indian and central Indian subcontinent per say, this can be attributed to tobacco chewing.