Could less radiation be enough for HPV throat cancer? new trial aims to find out.
NCT ID NCT06902623
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing whether people with early-stage HPV-positive throat cancer can be treated with radiation alone at a lower dose, instead of the usual full-dose radiation plus chemotherapy. The goal is to see if this gentler approach can keep the cancer from coming back while causing fewer long-term side effects. The trial will enroll 30 adults with stage I-II HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- radiation therapy (66 Gy)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that many patients with early HPV-positive throat cancer can skip chemotherapy and receive a lower radiation dose, reducing long-term side effects while still controlling the cancer.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Lowering treatment intensity could increase the risk of cancer recurrence, and long-term safety data are not yet available.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Aug 2019
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must be ≥ 18 years of age on the day of signing informed consent. * Patients must have a diagnosis of p16+ and/or HPV+ squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (including base of tongue, glossotonsilar sulcus, tonsil, soft palate, vallecula, and/or posterior oropharyngeal wall). * clinical stage stage I-II (T1-2 N1 M0, or T3 N0-1 M0 ) (AJCC 8th ed.) SCCA of the oropharynx that would mandate definitive chemoradiation as current standard of care when standard radiation fractionation is applied. Debulking of the disease by resecting the exophytic portion of the tumor for biopsy/sample or symptom alleviation will be permitted, as long as gross unresected tumor is left behind. * Subjects must agree to biopsy of areas that are FDG-avid on PET-CT scan 3-4 months after treatment. * Patients must have Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥ 60 within 8 weeks prior to registration * Patients must have had a neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio ≤ 5 within 8 weeks of registration. * Patient must have had a hemoglobin count ≥ 10 within 8 weeks of registration. The patient may receive transfusion to reach this goal. * Patients must be a current non-smoker (at least 6 months) with ≤ 15 pack-year smoking history * Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation, and for 90 days following completion of therapy. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with gross involvement of level 4 lymph node level * Endophytic T3 disease, as clinically determined by the principal investigator. * Patients with any single lymph node \> 4cm (multiple lymph nodes including nodal conglomerates that in sum measure \>4cm is allowed) * Patients with nodal disease clinically fixed to or radiographically invading adjacent neck musculature any single lymph node \> 4cm (multiple lymph nodes including nodal conglomerates that in sum measure \>4cm is allowed) * Prior history of malignancy diagnosed within 2 years prior to registration, except for nonmelanomatous skin cancer that has completed treatment and the patient is deemed as being disease-free, or Gleason 6 prostate cancer undergoing active surveillance. * Patients must not be pregnant or nursing due to the potential for congenital abnormalities and the potential of this regimen to harm nursing infants.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Base of tongue cancer are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
RECRUITINGWashington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007, United States
-
Medstar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
RECRUITINGClinton, Maryland, 20735, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can an HPV shot stop vulvar lesions from coming back?
- MRI scans may reveal which throat cancer patients need stronger treatment
- Could a single HPV shot match the standard regimen?
- Can proton radiation spare tonsil cancer patients from harsh side effects?
- Can a DNA vaccine boost immunotherapy against HPV-Linked head and neck cancer?
- Could Self-Sampling revolutionize cervical cancer screening?