Immunotherapy combo shows promise against rare throat cancer
NCT ID NCT03267498
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase II trial tested whether adding the immunotherapy drug nivolumab (Opdivo) to standard chemoradiation helps treat stage II-IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a type of throat cancer. Forty patients received nivolumab infusions every two weeks alongside cisplatin chemotherapy and daily radiation. The main goal was to see if patients could complete the full treatment course, with secondary goals measuring tumor response. The study is complete, and results may guide future treatment approaches.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Nivolumab (Opdivo) combined with cisplatin chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination could offer a more effective treatment option for nasopharyngeal cancer, potentially improving tumor shrinkage and long-term control.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study (40 participants) focused on feasibility, not a definitive test of effectiveness. Side effects from immunotherapy and chemoradiation can be significant.
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.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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National University Hospital Singapore
Singapore, 119074, Singapore
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University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, 94143, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- New pill-chemo combo takes on hard-to-treat cancers
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