Immunotherapy may replace chemo in head and neck cancer trial

NCT ID NCT03383094

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Loren Mell, MD Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) combined with radiation works better than the standard chemotherapy drug cisplatin with radiation for patients with a certain type of head and neck cancer (p16-positive). About 126 adults with advanced or intermediate-risk cancer will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. The main goal is to see which approach helps patients live longer without their cancer coming back, while also monitoring side effects.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autosomal dominant Parkinson disease 4 cancer head and neck cancer Head and Neck Neoplasms head and neck squamous cell carcinoma hypopharynx squamous cell carcinoma laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma lip and oral cavity carcinoma metastatic malignant neoplasm metastatic neoplasm Mouth Neoplasms nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma neoplasm Neoplasm Metastasis neoplasm of neck oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma oropharyngeal carcinoma oropharynx cancer oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma Recurrence Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

As listed by the trial registrant

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

CANCER CANCER METASTATIC CANCER OF HEAD AND NECK CANCER, ADVANCED HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA ORAL CANCER OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER OROPHARYNX CANCER OROPHARYNX CANCER, METASTATIC OROPHARYNX CANCER, RECURRENT OROPHARYNX CANCER, STAGE III TUMOR TUMOR METASTASIS TUMOR NECK TUMOR RECURRENCE

Contacts and locations

Locations

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Facility

Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center

La Jolla, California, 92093, United States
University of Arizona Cancer Center

Tucson, Arizona, 85719, United States
University of Cincinnati Medical Center

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45219, United States
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, United States
Washington University School of Medicine, Siteman Cancer Center

St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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