Results show that combining hormonal therapy with immunotherapy may offer a promising alternative to chemotherapy for advanced salivary gland cancer.
The treatment combined goserelin, a hormone therapy, with pembrolizumab. The study reported a 27.7% overall response rate and a 78% disease control rate. Patients stayed on treatment for a median of 12.1 months, and some continued to benefit even after stopping therapy. Side effects were manageable and consistent with known effects of hormone therapy and immunotherapy.
Salivary gland cancer is rare and has limited treatment options, especially in advanced stages. Researchers focused on tumors that express androgen receptors, finding that blocking these hormones may help “prime” the immune system, making immunotherapy more effective at attacking cancer cells.
Although the study included only 19 patients, the results suggest strong potential for this approach. Future research will focus on understanding how the combination works and testing it in larger trials to see if it could become a new standard treatment.