New combo therapy offers hope for head and neck cancer patients who Can't take standard chemo
NCT ID NCT04858269
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 6 times
Summary
This phase 2 trial tests a weekly combination of two chemotherapy drugs (carboplatin and paclitaxel) plus the immunotherapy pembrolizumab in 31 patients with metastatic head and neck cancer who cannot receive the standard drug 5-fluorouracil. The goal is to see if this regimen shrinks tumors more effectively than pembrolizumab alone. Researchers are also tracking overall survival and 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
- Pembrolizumab, Carboplatin, Paclitaxel
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this weekly regimen could offer a more tolerable and effective first-line treatment option for patients with metastatic head/neck cancer who cannot use standard 5FU chemotherapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small phase 2 study with only 31 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The combination may cause side effects like low blood counts or immune-related reactions, and it may not improve survival compared to existing treatments.
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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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Wake Forest Baptist Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, United States
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