Real-World Experience of Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors in Older Patients with Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Older patients are often underrepresented in clinical trials owing to exclusionary comorbidities, which are more common with age. Chemotherapy is poorly tolerated in older comorbid advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) patients; however, little is known on the efficacy and tolerability of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in this population. To our knowledge, this is the largest dedicated report on a cohort of older patients with advanced CSCC treated with immunotherapy to date. The aim was to report outcomes of ICI use in a real-world older cohort with advanced CSCC. A single-centre retrospective audit of all patients treated via an access scheme providing ICIs to patients with advanced CSCC was conducted. Participants were ≥ 70 years of age and had advanced CSCC not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy. Best overall response rate (ORR), 12-month overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity rates were assessed. A total of 53 patients were analysed. The median age was 81.8 years (range 70.1–96.8); 81