Can an immunotherapy combo shrink throat tumors before surgery?
NCT ID NCT07752394
First seen Aug 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 trial is testing whether giving the immunotherapy drug penpulimab together with chemotherapy before surgery can help people with locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma, a type of head and neck cancer. The study will include about 15 adults aged 18 to 80 with resectable tumors. The goal is to see if this combination can significantly reduce or eliminate the tumor before surgery, potentially improving surgical outcomes and long-term disease control.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- penpulimab (an immunotherapy drug) combined with chemotherapy (nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could make tumors smaller before surgery, potentially improving the chance of complete removal and long-term control of the cancer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study, so results may not apply broadly. The combination may cause side effects, and it is not yet known if it will improve outcomes compared to standard treatment.
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
Locations
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Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi Province, China
Xi’an, Shanxi, 710038, China
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