Immunotherapy-Chemo cocktail aims to tame head and neck tumors

NCT ID NCT07214987

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This phase 2 trial tests whether adding the immunotherapy drug toripalimab to standard chemotherapy (cisplatin and docetaxel) is safe and tolerable as an initial treatment for people with advanced head and neck cancer. The study enrolls 26 adults whose tumors have a certain protein marker (CPS-positive). The goal is to see if this combination can control the disease before patients undergo surgery or radiation, with fewer severe side effects.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: toripalimab (an immunotherapy drug) combined with cisplatin and docetaxel (chemotherapy drugs)
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could become a safer and more effective induction therapy before surgery or radiation, potentially improving outcomes for patients with advanced head and neck cancer.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial (26 participants) focused on safety and tolerability, not yet on long-term cure. The drug combination may still cause serious side effects, and results may not apply to all patients.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

head and neck cancer Head and Neck Neoplasms head and neck squamous cell carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

As listed by the trial registrant

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

HEAD AND NECK CANCER HEAD AND NECK CANCER SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
RECRUITING

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITING

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

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