“The more the tumor mutation burden, the better immunotherapy works – and CSCC has the highest tumor mutation burden of any tumor type in the Cancer Genome Atlas, several times higher than melanoma. Interestingly, basal cell carcinoma has an even higher tumor mutation burden than CSCC, but it’s not part of the atlas,” he continued.
Although the proportion of CSCCs that are locally advanced hasn’t been well established, it’s clear that CSCC is the deadliest nonmelanoma skin cancer, accounting for 3,900-8,800 deaths annually in the United States.
The cemiplimab phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for CSCC were jointly sponsored by Regeneron and Sanofi. The monoclonal antibody is also being developed for treatment of myeloma and lung cancer. Dr. Migden reported receiving honoraria from Regeneron and Sanofi, as well as from Genentech, Lilly, Novartis, and Sun Pharmaceuticals.