Can a glowing drug light up head and neck tumors?
NCT ID NCT07741565
First seen Aug 03, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-phase trial is testing whether injecting a fluorescently labeled version of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab directly into head and neck tumors is safe and helps visualize the tumor and nearby lymph nodes during surgery. Adults with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who are scheduled for surgery will receive two injections of the study drug before their operation. Researchers will also study how the drug travels to lymph nodes and how it relates to immune responses, which could improve surgical guidance and understanding of the disease.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Nivolumab-IRDye800 (nivo800), a fluorescently labeled version of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab, injected directly into the tumor
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could improve surgical precision by highlighting tumors and lymph nodes, and may help personalize immunotherapy for head and neck cancer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small trial focused on safety and imaging, not treatment effectiveness. The fluorescent dye or injection method could cause side effects, and results may not apply to larger populations.
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.
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