Immunotherapy inches forward in head and neck cancer trials

Cancer Center expert featured in Targeted Therapies in Oncology article

The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center's Trisha Wise-Draper was featured in a Targeted Therapies in Oncology article discussing the current state and future of immunotherapy trials to treat head and neck cancer.

Immunotherapy treatments use the body's own immune system to target cancer cells and have become an important option for many types of cancer. But there is more to learn on the best uses of immunotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

“Outside of the recurrent and metastatic setting, where we have clear indications about when to give immunotherapy, I think it’s still too early to give it in the definitive setting,” said Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, a Cancer Center physician researcher, professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, section head of medical oncology, co-leader of the Head and neck Experimental Advancement Laboratory in UC's College of Medicine and deputy director of UC's Office of Clinical Research.

“I’d wait until we have a little bit more information, especially with giving immunotherapy before surgery, until we have the results from the clinical trial.”

Read the Targeted Therapies in Oncology article.

Featured photo at top of Wise-Draper, left, and Vinita Takiar in the Head and neck Experimental Advancement Laboratory. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Marketing + Brand.

 

Related Stories

1

Can coal make a comeback?

February 24, 2026

Bloomberg Law speaks with Joseph Tomain, Dean Emeritus and Wilbert and Helen Ziegler Professor of Law at UC, about the federal government's push to promote use of coal plants for energy generation.

2

Why do female caribou have antlers?

February 24, 2026

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati discovered that female caribou feed extensively on shed antlers they find while grazing to supplement their diet with important minerals they need to raise calves. This could explain why female caribou, unique among deer, have antlers.

3

UC alum aims for summer Olympic debut

February 23, 2026

With the 2026 Winter Olympic Games coming to a close, attention now turns to the summer games coming up in Los Angeles in 2028. Beach sprint rowing is a relatively new sport that is surging in popularity due to its inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Spectrum News 1 spoke with Lindner College of Business alum and most-decorated beach sprint rower of all time, Christopher Bak, on his Olympic-sized goals.