New study: can early palliative care help head and neck cancer patients suffer less?
NCT ID NCT07671573
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether adding palliative care early — alongside standard chemoradiotherapy — can improve symptoms and quality of life for people with advanced head and neck cancer that cannot be surgically removed. Researchers will compare two groups: one receiving standard treatment alone, and another receiving standard treatment plus regular palliative care consultations. The goal is to see if early support reduces pain, anxiety, and other burdens, and helps patients complete their cancer treatment more smoothly.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- early palliative care (behavioral intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that adding palliative care early helps patients manage symptoms better and complete cancer treatment with fewer interruptions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 64 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The benefit over standard care alone is not yet proven.
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
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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
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About 64 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: Each patient must fulfil all of the following criteria: 1. Diagnosis of locally advanced (unresectable) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx, staged according to the TNM AJCC 8th edition, proposed at a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting for definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on an outpatient basis; 2. Age ≥18 years; 3. ECOG performance status 0-2; 4. Adequate organ function: haemoglobin ≥9 g/dL; neutrophils ≥1.5×10⁹/L; platelets ≥100×10⁹/L; creatinine ≤1.5×ULN; bilirubin, AST, ALT, LDH ≤1.5×ULN; 5. Signed informed consent by the participant. Exclusion Criteria: Each patient will be excluded if they meet any of the following criteria: 1. ECOG performance status 3-4; 2. Previous follow-up by specialised palliative care; 3. Primary tumours of the nasopharynx, oesophagus, lip, or salivary glands; 4. Metastatic head and neck cancer (oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx); 5. Severe comorbidities: decompensated cardiovascular disease (NYHA class III/IV heart failure, recent myocardial infarction), severe COPD (FEV₁ \<50% predicted), renal insufficiency (eGFR \<30 mL/min), hepatic insufficiency (Child-Pugh B/C); 6. Laboratory values: neutrophils \<1.5×10⁹/L, platelets \<100×10⁹/L, haemoglobin \<9 g/dL, creatinine \>1.5×ULN; 7. Diagnosis of dementia; 8. Participation in another clinical trial.
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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.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Department of Medical Oncology (Portuguese Oncology Institute of Coimbra)-Portuguese Oncology Institute of Coimbra- Av. Bissaya Barreto 98, Celas, 3000-075 Coimbra
Coimbra, Coimbra District, 3000-075, Portugal
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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