Recruiting

Smaller surgery versus larger surgery after chemotherapy for recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer

Plain-English translation of NCT05877872 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated May 2023 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 3 — Testing in thousands of people, comparing the treatment against what doctors currently use. This is the last big step before approval.

What is this trial?

This trial is comparing two surgical approaches for patients with nasopharyngeal cancer that has returned after initial treatment. All participants will first receive chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy (using PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies) to shrink the tumor. Then, some patients will have a smaller surgery that removes only the remaining tumor area, while others will have a larger surgery that removes the original tumor area plus surrounding tissue. Both groups will also receive additional immunotherapy after surgery to help prevent the cancer from returning.

Doctors want to know if they can safely remove less tissue during surgery for recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer without harming patients' outcomes. Because the nasopharynx is surrounded by important nerves and blood vessels, a smaller surgical approach could reduce pain, complications, and difficulty during the operation while still curing the cancer.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer that has come back more than 6 months after your original radiation therapy
your recurrent cancer is in an early or intermediate stage (T1, T2, or T3) and can safely be removed with surgery
you have completed at least 3 cycles of chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy and your tumor has shrunk by at least 50%
you are generally in good health with a Karnofsky Performance Status score of 71 or higher
you are willing to provide written informed consent

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a Karnofsky Performance Status score of 70 or lower
you have severe medical conditions, important organ dysfunction, or a significant history of mental illness
you have cancer that has spread to distant organs (metastatic disease)
you have an active autoimmune disease such as hepatitis, vasculitis, or asthma requiring bronchodilators
you have been treated previously with immunotherapy drugs such as PD-1 inhibitors, PD-L1 inhibitors, or CTLA-4 inhibitors

What participation looks like

If you join this trial, you will receive chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy to shrink your tumor, followed by either a smaller or larger surgical procedure (determined randomly). After surgery, you will receive additional immunotherapy to help prevent cancer recurrence. You will have regular follow-up visits with close imaging and monitoring to check your progress and watch for any signs of the cancer returning. The research team will track your health outcomes and compare how well the smaller surgical approach works compared to the larger approach.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 4, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

China

Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong