Tertiary lymphoid structures in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as predictors of response to immunotherapy

Oral Oncology 2026 Open access

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Authors: Cara Griffin, Meg L. Donovan, Clara Lawler, Jessica Da Gama Duarte, Rahul Ladwa, Catherine Barnett, Arutha Kulasinghe
DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2026.107998
Cited by: 1
References: 62

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the seventh most prevalent cancer diagnosed in Australia, accounting for significant morbidity and mortality. Locoregional recurrence occurs in approximately half of HNSCC patients. Immunotherapy response rates in HNSCC remain modest at 20-35%. Therefore, it is essential to review and build on the evidence around how immunotherapy response is shaped by the tumour microenvironment (TME). Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are emerging as predictors of immunotherapy response. This review summarises recent studies on TLS in HNSCC and investigates whether these have potential as predictive biomarkers.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers Inflammatory Biomarkers in Disease Prognosis Head and Neck Cancer Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Oral Oncology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
178
Pages
107998–107998
Publication date
7 May 2026
Language
EN