New combo therapy shows promise for incurable head and neck cancer

This study looked at whether adding cetuximab to avelumab works better than avelumab alone for people with advanced head and neck cancer that has come back or spread. The cancer in these patients is not curable, and average survival is less than a year. The trial first checked the safety of the drug combination in a small group, then planned to enroll 114 patients to compare the two treatments. Both drugs are given by IV every two weeks for up to a year, with follow-up for two years.