Immunotherapy may replace chemo for some throat cancers

NCT ID NCT03410615

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Canadian Cancer Trials Group Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jan 16, 2026 · Last updated Jun 23, 2026 · Updated 20 times

Summary

This phase 2 trial compares standard treatment (radiation plus chemotherapy drug cisplatin) against two experimental arms using the immunotherapy drug durvalumab with radiation, followed by either durvalumab alone or durvalumab plus another immunotherapy, tremelimumab. The study includes 129 patients with HPV-positive, intermediate-risk oropharyngeal cancer. The goal is to see if immunotherapy can control the cancer as well as chemotherapy, with potentially fewer side effects.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

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Locations

AZ Sint Augustinus

Wilrijk, B-2610, Belgium
Allan Blair Cancer Centre

Regina, Saskatchewan, S4T 7T1, Canada
CIUSSS de l'Estrie - Centre hospitalier

Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada
CancerCare Manitoba

Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0V9, Canada
Clinique St. Elizabeth

Namur, 5000, Belgium
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc

Brussels, 1200, Belgium
Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra

Pamplona, Navarre, 31008, Spain
Cross Cancer Institute

Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1Z2, Canada
Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori

Milan, 20133, Italy
Health Sciences North

Greater Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 5J1, Canada
Hospital Duran i Reynals

Barcelona, 08907, Spain
Juravinski Cancer Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences

Hamilton, Ontario, L8V 5C2, Canada
Kingston Health Sciences Centre

Kingston, Ontario, K7L 2V7, Canada
London Regional Cancer Program

London, Ontario, N6A 5W9, Canada
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L6, Canada
QEII Health Sciences Centre

Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1V7, Canada
Saskatoon Cancer Centre

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 4H4, Canada
The Jewish General Hospital

Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
The Research Institute of the McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
University Clinical Hospital of Valencia

Valencia, 46010, Spain
University Health Network

Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Canada
University Hospital Leuven

Leuven, B-3000, Belgium
University Hospital Ramon y Cajal

Madrid, 28034, Spain
University Hospital Vall dHebron

Barcelona, 08035, Spain
University Hospital of Antwerp

Edegem, Belgium
University Hospital of Gent

Ghent, 9000, Belgium

What this could mean

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

Active substance

Durvalumab (an immunotherapy drug) and Tremelimumab (another immunotherapy drug), compared to Cisplatin (chemotherapy)

What this could lead to

If successful, this could offer a less toxic alternative to chemotherapy for HPV-positive throat cancer patients, potentially reducing side effects while keeping the cancer from returning.

What could go wrong

This is a phase 2 trial with only 129 participants, so results are preliminary. Immunotherapies can cause serious immune-related side effects, and the tremelimumab arm was closed early due to recruitment issues.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

As listed by the trial registrant

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

OROPHARYNGEAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA