Immunotherapy for Stage 4 Head and Neck Cancer

After chemo-radiation treatment for HPV-related head and neck cancer in 2020, the cancer had unfortunately spread, and in 2021 I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, with 6 tumours across both lungs.

I had biomarkers for PDL1(?) checked out, and they showed that I would be a suitable patient for immunotherapy, specifically Pembrolizumab. I was given an infusion in a cancer ward every 6 weeks, and I had CT scans every 3 months.

The Pembro worked quickly to reduce the size of the tumours and then over the next 2-year period they gradually shrunk to a small size.

As Pembro was only licensed for 2 years, I came off treatment in 2023 and am now scanned every 3 months to check that the cancer has not spread further.

So my experience of immunotherapy has been really, really good. I had few, if any, side effects (apart from fatigue for a day or so after my infusion). This meant that I could continue with my passion of running ultra-marathons.

But I know that I was very lucky (i) in being able to have immunotherapy treatment, (ii) that it does not cause me any major side effects, and (iii) the treatment worked to show that by the end of two years scans revealed I have had a complete radiological response.

I wrote up about my experiences with immunotherapy here, if any one would like more information

https://ansmackay.wixsite.com/uclgeography/blog

My main worry now is if, or when, the tumours do regrow, or new ones appear, how will I be treated? No one seems sure of my eligibility to go back onto Pembro, so that is an uncertainty that does worry me.