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Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer, Sarcoma and Cutaneous Malignancies
Recent landmark studies in melanoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), head and neck cancer (HNC) and sarcoma have established neoadjuvant immune therapy as a potential standard of care for patients with locally advanced cancers. Radiation oncologists need to be aware of this new paradigm, in part because it has important implications for radiation therapy. In melanoma, neoadjuvant immune therapy was found to be superior to adjuvant immune therapy in recent randomized studies. In cSCC, pathologic response following neoadjuvant immune therapy can potentially help inform whether adjuvant treatment is needed. In mucosal HNC, the KEYNOTE-689 study will likely establish neoadjuvant immune therapy as a new standard of care approach. According to this study, patients who receive preoperative immune therapy may also benefit from further immune therapy administered during adjuvant radiation. Preoperative radiation combined with immune therapy could potentially improve pathologic response and enhance outcomes; this strategy has been tested in HNC and recently found to be beneficial in soft tissue sarcoma. The goal of this activity is to inform the radiation oncology community of these recent, and in many cases, practice changing, data to help inform practice and future research. In addition to reviewing current data and standards of care, we also address relevant topics of interest such as: the immunologic rationale for neoadjuvant immune therapy; relevant biomarkers to predict response; the use of pathologic response as a surrogate endpoint; and how neoadjuvant immune therapy may impact the landscape of adjuvant treatment including radiation therapy.
Topics:
- Neoadjuvant Immune Therapy for Cutaneous Malignancies
Christopher A. Barker, MD - Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Mucosal Head and Neck Cancer
Kevin J. Contrera, MD, MPH - Neoadjuvant Radiation/Immunotherapy in HNSCC
Marka R. Crittenden, MD, PhD - Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab and Radiation Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremity
Yvonne Marie Mowery, MD, PhD, BS - Q and A
Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD - Moderator
Full Panel
This activity is available from January 6, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on January 5, 2028.
The content was originally presented and recorded at the 2025 ASTRO Annual Meeting.
Target Audience
The activity is designed to meet the interests of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, physicists, nurses, pathologists, radiation biologists, radiation therapists, immunologists and residents.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Explain the data supporting neoadjuvant immune therapy and discuss the rationale for this approach.
- Describe the potential implication neoadjuvant immunotherapy or immunotherapy/radiation combinations has on adjuvant treatment recommendations.
- Identify ongoing and future research exploring neoadjuvant immunotherapy such as neoadjuvant immunotherapy/radiotherapy combinations.
- Lin L. Zhu, MD, PhD, is employed by UT Southwestern Medical Center.
- Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD, is employed by University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. Dr. Takiar receives grant/research funding from the NIH and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Takiar receives travel expenses from the American Board of Radiology.
- Christopher A. Barker, MD, is employed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Barker’s institute receives grant/research funding from Alpha Tau Medical, Amgen, Elekta, EMD Serono, National Institutes of Health and Regeneron.
- Kevin J. Contrera, MD, MPH, is employed by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
- Marka R. Crittenden, MD, PhD, is employed by Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute and is a Partner with the Oregon Clinic. Dr. Crittenden has a sponsored research agreement for reagents from BMS.
- Yvonne Marie Mowery, MD, PhD, BS, is employed by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. Dr. Mowery receives grant/research funding from the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation, the John R. Flanagan Charitable Foundation, NIDCR/NIH/NCI and SU2C. Dr. Mowery receives honoraria from UpToDate.
All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Available Credit
- 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for physicians. ASTRO designates this Enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.25 Certificate of AttendanceThis activity was designated for 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Price
Course Fees:
ASTRO members must log in to the ASTRO website to view and receive the member rate.
- Nonmember: $149
- Member: $99
- Member-in-Training: $49
- Student/Graduate Student/PGY-1 Member: $49
- Postdoctoral Fellow Member: $49
If you are an ASTRO member from a low or lower-middle income country, as identified by the World Bank, you can receive a 50% discount off your corresponding registration for this activity. Please email [email protected] to inquire about the discount.
Policies:
No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for those participants who, for any reason, have not completed the activity by the expiration date.
Participants using ASTRO Academy activities to satisfy the requirement of a Continuing Certification (MOC) program should verify the credit number and type and availability dates of any activity before making a purchase. No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for participants who have purchased activities that do not align with their MOC requirement.
The activity and its materials will only be available on the ASTRO website until January 5, 2028, regardless of purchase date. At the expiration of the activity, participants will no longer have access to the activity or its materials. ASTRO reserves the right to remove an activity before its expiration date.
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One of the two latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.