Rilvegostomig clears ctDNA and delays recurrence in high-risk head and neck cancer

Dr Enrique Sanz-Garcia speaks to ecancer about the MERIDIAN phase II trial. He explores findings from the study investigating minimal residual disease interception using rilvegostomig, a TIGIT/PD-1 bispecific antibody, in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using circulating tumour DNA to identify patients at high risk of recurrence following definitive treatment. Early results provide proof of concept that targeting molecular residual disease may delay or prevent clinical progression. Dr Sanz-Garcia says that although the study faced challenges with lower-than-expected detection rates of minimal residual disease, these findings support further investigation of ctDNA-guided treatment strategies and highlight the potential of early intervention in high-risk head and neck cancer.