The 2016 FDA approval of the Programmed death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies pembrolizumab and nivolumab for the treatment of HNSCC heralded the dawn of a new era of treatment for a patient population that historically has a 50% recurrence rate despite aggressive multi-modality treatment involving surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and, where appropriate, EGFR inhibition (4). This evidence concerns the gene PDCD1 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.