Recently, the phase III KEYNOTE-048 trial demonstrated durable clinical responses and improved survival outcomes in recurrent or metastatic HNSCC (R/M HNSCC) patients treated with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy, leading to its approval as a first-line treatment for R/M HNSCC (4–6). This evidence concerns the gene PDCD1 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.