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
Share your medical data to predict treatment side effects
This multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study aims to evaluate a previously developed dynamic risk prediction model for severe treatment-related myelosuppression in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving systemic therapy. The model is designed to estimate the risk of grade 3 or higher anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia or neutropenia during treatment. Eligible adult patients with histologically confirmed nasopharyngeal carcinoma will be consecutively enrolled at participating centers. Before each cycle of systemic therapy, routinely available clinical and laboratory data will be collected and used to generate updated risk predictions. Patients will be followed throughout systemic therapy and for 28 days after the last treatment. This is an observational study. Treatment and supportive care will be determined by treating physicians according to routine clinical practice. Model predictions will be used only for research evaluation and will not be used to guide or modify patient treatment. The study will evaluate the predictive performance and clinical applicability of the model across multiple centers.
Take a new immune therapy combined with standard treatment for stomach cancer
The purpose of this study is to find out whether adding the drug 2141-V11 to standard treatment (anti-PD-1 immunotherapy with or without 5-FU) is a safe treatment approach for participants with advanced esophageal, gastric, or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma
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