Blood test guides chemo timing in head and neck cancer trial
NCT ID NCT05420948
First seen Jan 06, 2026 · Last updated Jun 19, 2026 · Updated 29 times
Summary
This phase 2 study tests whether adding occasional chemotherapy to the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) can improve outcomes for people with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer. A blood test that measures tumor DNA helps doctors decide when to give the chemo. The trial enrolls 30 adults and lasts about two years.
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This is a summary of
the original study
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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.
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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Study contacts
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center
RECRUITINGChicago, Illinois, 60637, United States
Contact
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy
What this could lead to
If successful, this approach could show that using a blood test to guide when to add chemotherapy improves tumor shrinkage compared to immunotherapy alone.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial with only 30 participants, so results may not apply widely. Chemotherapy adds side effects like fatigue, nausea, and low blood counts.
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.