Head and neck cancers include tumors of the mouth, throat, voice box, sinuses, and salivary glands. Most are squamous cell carcinomas linked to tobacco, alcohol, or HPV infection. Standard treatment combines surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, but outcomes vary widely depending on tumor location and stage at diagnosis.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing immunotherapy drugs (particularly checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab and nivolumab) in earlier disease stages, targeted drugs for HPV-positive tumors, new radiation techniques that spare healthy tissue, and combinations that might replace or reduce chemotherapy. Researchers are also studying ways to preserve voice and swallowing function during treatment.
Immunotherapy expansion
Checkpoint inhibitors now approved for advanced disease are being tested earlier, including before surgery. Studies are exploring which patients respond best and whether combining them with chemotherapy or radiation improves outcomes.
HPV-positive tumors
HPV-related throat cancers respond better to treatment than tobacco-related cancers. Trials are testing whether less intensive therapy can cure them while reducing long-term side effects like difficulty swallowing.
Organ preservation
New approaches aim to cure cancer while preserving the ability to speak and swallow. This includes targeted radiation, drugs that sensitize tumors to radiation, and surgical techniques that spare critical structures.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on tumor location, stage, HPV status, prior treatments, and whether surgery is planned or already completed.
What types of trials are currently open
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors alone or combined with chemotherapy or radiation, often in earlier stages than currently approved.
- De-escalation trials — Testing less intensive treatment for HPV-positive cancers to reduce side effects while maintaining cure rates.
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs aimed at specific mutations or pathways, particularly in tumors that don't respond well to standard treatment.
- Radiation trials — Testing newer radiation techniques, different schedules, or drugs that make tumors more sensitive to radiation.
- Biomarker studies — Collecting tumor samples to identify which genetic features predict response to treatment or guide therapy selection.
Recently added Head And Neck Cancer trials
A Study of SYS6010 Combined With Enlonstobart in Patients With Previously Systemic Treatment-Naive R/M Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
This is a randomized, open-label, multicenter phase Ⅲ trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SYS6010 combined with Enlonstobart injection versus Tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus cisplatin) in patients with previously systemic treatment-naive recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Proton Re-irradiation in Patients With Recurrent or Second Primary Head and Neck Cancer , a Multicentre Phase II Single Arm Trial
Re-irradiation of head and neck cancer due to relaps or new cancer in the same area may be beneficial, but also poses a risk since the area has been given radiation previously. Proton radiation is a new type of radiotherapy which might result in less damage of healthy tissue around the tumour, but it is still uncertain whether this leads to fewer side effects and improved quality of life. The aim of this study is to collect more knowledge of side-effects, swallowing function, quality of life and disease control after re-irradiation with protons in patients with relaps or second primary head and neck cancer
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