The morbidity and mortality rates of head and neck tumors are among the top ten worldwide, among which head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common type. In recent years, significant breakthroughs have been achieved by immune checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1) / programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors in the treatment of recurrent/metastatic HNSCC, and their potential in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced HNSCC (LA HNSCC) has also garnered widespread attention. Research indicates that neoadjuvant immunotherapy not only significantly improves pathological response rates, but also contributes to better organ function preservation, while maintaining good patient tolerance, offering a new strategy for the treatment of LA HNSCC. In this article, the latest research progress and clinical application prospects of immune checkpoint PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the neoadjuvant treatment of LA HNSCC were reviewed.

The morbidity and mortality rates of head and neck tumors are among the top ten worldwide, among which head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common type. In recent years, significant breakthroughs have been achieved by immune checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1) / programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors in the treatment of recurrent/metastatic HNSCC, and their potential in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced HNSCC (LA HNSCC) has also garnered widespread attention. Research indicates that neoadjuvant immunotherapy not only significantly improves pathological response rates, but also contributes to better organ function preservation, while maintaining good patient tolerance, offering a new strategy for the treatment of LA HNSCC. In this article, the latest research progress and clinical application prospects of immune checkpoint PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the neoadjuvant treatment of LA HNSCC were reviewed.