New combo therapy shows promise for tough head and neck cancers

NCT ID NCT00939627

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase II trial tested whether adding sorafenib to cetuximab works better than cetuximab alone for patients with advanced head and neck cancer that has come back or spread. Fifty-five adults with various types of head and neck cancer took part. The study measured how long patients lived without their cancer getting worse and how their tumors responded to treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
cetuximab and sorafenib tosylate
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a more effective treatment option for patients with advanced head and neck cancer who have not responded to prior therapies.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial (55 participants) that may not show a clear benefit. The combination could also cause more side effects than cetuximab alone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

METASTATIC SQUAMOUS NECK CANCER WITH OCCULT PRIMARY SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA RECURRENT METASTATIC SQUAMOUS NECK CANCER WITH OCCULT PRIMARY RECURRENT SALIVARY GLAND CANCER RECURRENT SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HYPOPHARYNX RECURRENT SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX RECURRENT SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LIP AND ORAL CAVITY RECURRENT SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE NASOPHARYNX RECURRENT SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE OROPHARYNX RECURRENT SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PARANASAL SINUS AND NASAL CAVITY RECURRENT VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX RECURRENT VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY SALIVARY GLAND SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA STAGE IV SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HYPOPHARYNX STAGE IV SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE NASOPHARYNX STAGE IVA SALIVARY GLAND CANCER STAGE IVA SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX STAGE IVA SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LIP AND ORAL CAVITY STAGE IVA SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE OROPHARYNX STAGE IVA SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PARANASAL SINUS AND NASAL CAVITY STAGE IVA VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX STAGE IVA VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY STAGE IVB SALIVARY GLAND CANCER STAGE IVB SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX STAGE IVB SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LIP AND ORAL CAVITY STAGE IVB SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE OROPHARYNX STAGE IVB SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PARANASAL SINUS AND NASAL CAVITY STAGE IVB VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX STAGE IVB VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY STAGE IVC SALIVARY GLAND CANCER STAGE IVC SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX STAGE IVC SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LIP AND ORAL CAVITY STAGE IVC SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE OROPHARYNX STAGE IVC SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PARANASAL SINUS AND NASAL CAVITY STAGE IVC VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE LARYNX STAGE IVC VERRUCOUS CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL CAVITY TONGUE CANCER UNTREATED METASTATIC SQUAMOUS NECK CANCER WITH OCCULT PRIMARY

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Billings Clinic

    Billings, Montana, 59107-7000, United States

  • Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States

  • H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute

    Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States

  • Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States

  • Montefiore Medical Center

    The Bronx, New York, 10467-2490, United States

  • Suburban Hospital

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, United States

  • University of North Carolina

    Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States

  • Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States

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