Oropharyngeal carcinoma

This phase II trial is testing whether the combination of cabozantinib (a targeted therapy) and nivolumab (an immunotherapy) can shrink or stabilize advanced melanoma and head and neck cancers that have stopped responding to prior immunotherapy. Researchers are also checking if t…

This phase 1 study tests a combination of two drugs, pomalidomide (a pill) and nivolumab (an infusion), in adults with cancers caused by viruses like Epstein-Barr, HPV, or hepatitis. The goal is to find a safe dose and see if the drugs can shrink tumors. Up to 58 people with Kapo…

This early-phase study tests whether adding the experimental drug ipatasertib to standard chemotherapy and radiation is safe and effective for people with advanced head and neck cancer. Ipatasertib may help stop cancer cell growth. About 46 participants will receive the combinati…

This study compares two treatments after surgery for stage III-IVA head and neck cancer: radiation alone versus radiation plus the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. The goal is to see which approach better prevents the cancer from returning, especially in patients with certain TP53 ge…

This phase II trial is testing whether adding chemotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy before standard salvage surgery can improve outcomes for patients with PD-L1 positive head and neck cancer that has come back. About 180 participants will receive either carboplatin and paclitaxel, …

This early-phase trial is testing whether a drug called camonsertib, combined with a precise type of radiation, can help control head and neck cancers that have come back or cannot be removed by surgery. About 39 adults with these cancers will receive the drug along with focused …

This early-phase trial tests whether adding mild heat therapy (thermotherapy) to standard chemoradiation is safe and tolerable for people with advanced head and neck cancer. The heat, applied once a week, aims to make the cancer more sensitive to treatment. The study includes two…

This study compares two treatments for people with advanced head and neck cancer who cannot use the standard drug cisplatin. About 454 participants will receive either cetuximab (a targeted antibody) or a chemotherapy combo (carboplatin + paclitaxel) alongside precise radiation t…

This phase 2 trial is testing whether the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab, given before surgery, can help treat HPV-related throat cancer that can be removed. About 20 adults with stage I oropharyngeal cancer will receive two doses of atezolizumab followed by standard surgery. Th…

This study tests whether a blood test that detects tumor DNA can help doctors choose the right amount of chemotherapy and radiation after surgery for HPV-positive throat cancer. The goal is to give less intense treatment to patients with a low risk of cancer returning, reducing s…

This study tests whether adding two experimental HPV vaccines (pBI-11 and TA-HPV) to the standard immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can shrink tumors or slow cancer growth in people with advanced oropharyngeal cancer that is HPV-positive. About 54 adults whose cancer has returned …

This study tests whether giving a lower dose of radiation to the lymph nodes in the neck that are not directly affected by cancer can reduce side effects while still curing the disease. It includes 100 people with early-stage HPV-related throat cancer. The goal is to maintain exc…

This phase 3 trial tests whether using a special scan (SPECT-CT) to guide radiation to only one side of the neck works as well as standard radiation to both sides for people with oropharyngeal cancer. The study includes 510 participants with early-stage cancer on one side of the …

This early-stage trial is testing whether injecting the local anesthetic lidocaine into HPV-related throat tumors before robotic surgery is safe and might help destroy more cancer cells. About 30 adults with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer will receive the injection during a ro…

This study is testing whether giving lower doses of radiation over a shorter time, along with standard chemotherapy, works as well as the usual higher radiation doses for people with HPV-positive throat cancer. About 74 participants will receive chemoradiation with drugs like cis…

This study is testing whether taking three oral chemotherapy drugs together is safe and practical for patients with head and neck cancer that has returned or spread. The trial focuses on people living in rural Midwest areas, making it easier for them to participate from home. The…

This phase II trial tests whether a blood test that detects HPV DNA can help doctors decide the right amount of radiation for people with HPV-positive throat cancer. About 455 participants will either have surgery or receive standard chemotherapy plus radiation, but the radiation…

This study is testing whether a much lower dose of radiation (30 Gy) combined with standard chemotherapy can control HPV-positive throat cancer as well as the usual high dose (70 Gy). The goal is to reduce side effects from radiation while still keeping the cancer from coming bac…

This study tests giving chemotherapy and immunotherapy before standard surgery for head and neck cancer. The goal is to shrink tumors enough so that surgeons can perform less extensive, function-preserving operations, reducing damage to swallowing, speech, and vision. The trial e…

This early-phase trial tests a personalized vaccine made from a patient's own tumor cells, given alone or with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, for people with head and neck cancer that has returned or spread. The main goals are to check safety, find the best dose, and see i…

This phase II trial tests whether adding lovastatin, a common cholesterol-lowering drug, to the immunotherapy pembrolizumab can help shrink tumors in people with head and neck cancer that has returned or spread. The study will enroll 28 adults whose tumors express PD-L1. Research…

This Phase 2 trial is testing whether giving the immunotherapy drug toripalimab along with standard chemotherapy before surgery or radiation can shrink HPV16-positive oropharyngeal (throat) tumors by at least 50%. The study enrolls 30 patients with advanced but localized disease.…

This study tests whether giving patients with a specific type of throat cancer (p16+ oropharyngeal cancer) a personalized, less intense treatment can keep cancer from coming back while reducing side effects. About 150 adults with early-stage disease will either have surgery follo…

This study tests whether people with HPV-positive throat cancer can safely receive a lower dose of radiation if their tumor shrinks quickly during early treatment. About 120 participants will be monitored for 2 years to see if the reduced treatment still prevents cancer from comi…

This pilot study is testing whether people with early-stage oral or throat cancer (T1-N0 or T2-N0) can safely have their tumor removed as an outpatient, going home the same day. The procedure also includes a sentinel lymph node biopsy to check for cancer spread. Researchers will …

This trial is testing a new electrochemical method to monitor HPV infection in patients with head and neck cancers, specifically oropharyngeal carcinoma. The goal is to see if tracking HPV DNA levels during treatment can help personalize therapy, potentially allowing some patient…

This study tests whether adding a special ultrasound of the tonsils to standard exams helps doctors diagnose oropharyngeal cancer more accurately. About 180 patients with suspected throat cancer will be randomly assigned to either standard diagnostics alone or standard diagnostic…

This study is testing whether a simple mouth rinse can detect HPV-related throat cancer early, before symptoms appear. Researchers will compare results from 200 people with throat cancer and 200 healthy volunteers matched by age, sex, and background. If accurate, this test could …

This study tests whether a gel containing diclofenac, a common anti-inflammatory drug, can prevent severe skin irritation caused by radiation therapy. About 156 adults with head/neck or breast cancer will apply the gel or a placebo to the treated skin three times daily during the…

This phase II trial tests whether adding BMX-001 to standard symptom management can reduce severe mouth sores in head and neck cancer patients receiving chemoradiation. About 98 participants will receive either BMX-001 or a placebo alongside usual care. The goal is to see if BMX-…

This study tests whether closely watching jaw movement and starting physical therapy early can prevent or reduce trismus (jaw tightness) in people receiving radiation for head and neck cancer. Thirty adults will be checked weekly during treatment and given jaw exercises if their …

This study tests high-dose steroids (methylprednisolone or prednisone) in 35 head and neck cancer survivors who have nerve damage from past radiation. The goal is to find the best dose that improves symptoms like tongue weakness while limiting side effects. Participants must be a…

This study tests whether a daily physical activity routine, started before and continued during radiotherapy, can improve physical function and quality of life for head and neck cancer patients. 80 patients with tumors of the oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx will be randomly as…

This Phase 2 trial tests whether using MRI to map saliva ducts before radiation therapy can reduce dry mouth in people with oropharyngeal cancer. About 98 participants will be randomly assigned to standard radiation planning or a new approach that spares the parotid ducts. The ma…

This study compares standard radiation therapy to a newer method called dose painting for people with head and neck cancer. The goal is to see if dose painting causes fewer severe mouth ulcers one year after treatment. About 100 participants will be randomly assigned to receive e…

This study tests whether a special massage called manual lymph drainage can help reduce swelling in the face and neck caused by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. The study will include 40 people who have finished radiation within the past year. It compares two different…

This study tests whether injecting a long-lasting local anesthetic called EXPAREL (liposomal bupivacaine) into the surgical wound can improve pain control and swallowing function in 80 adults undergoing robotic surgery for throat cancer. Participants will be compared to those who…

This study aims to learn more about oropharyngeal carcinoma, a type of throat cancer that can be linked to HPV. Researchers will collect blood samples from 1,000 patients before treatment and at six follow-up visits, and also gather tumor tissue when available. The goal is to bet…

This study tests whether offering hearing tests close to home or remotely increases how many head and neck cancer patients get their hearing checked during treatment. Many patients on cisplatin chemotherapy or radiation near the ear can lose hearing, but not all complete recommen…

This study is testing whether wearing a fitness tracker (like a Fitbit) can give doctors a better picture of how active cancer patients are, and whether that activity level relates to how well they are doing overall. About 590 people with various cancers will wear activity monito…

This study is building a huge registry of information and biological samples from adults with or at risk for many types of cancer, as well as healthy volunteers. Researchers will use this resource to study what causes cancer and how to better prevent, detect, and treat it. The re…

This study from Mayo Clinic aims to find biological markers (biomarkers) in blood, tissue, and saliva that can signal the presence or absence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer. Researchers will follow 560 participants, including patients with and without the disease, to see if …

This study looks at why people with head and neck cancer follow (or don't follow) swallowing exercises after radiation. Researchers will use blood tests and questionnaires to see if immune system proteins or feelings about the disease affect exercise habits. The goal is to find w…

This study looks at how cancer and its treatments change a person's sense of taste and smell, and how that affects their eating and nutrition. Researchers will follow 306 people newly diagnosed with cancer of the mouth, throat, colon, or liver. They will use questionnaires, taste…

This study is testing whether liquid biopsies (blood tests that look for bits of HPV and tumor DNA) can help doctors monitor treatment and spot early signs of cancer returning in people with HPV-related cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. Researchers will follow 480 participants …

This study looks at how radiation therapy for head and neck cancers affects the blood vessels in the neck. Researchers will use two types of PET/CT scans to compare images taken before and after treatment. The goal is to better understand and detect radiation-related vascular dam…