The results of the KEYNOTE-048 clinical trial led to the proposed use of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab plus platinum and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as an appropriate first-line treatment for recurrent and metastatic HNSCC and pembrolizumab monotherapy as a first-line treatment for PD-L1-positive recurrent or metastatic HNSCC [16]. Here, CD274 is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.