Bacteria living in head and neck tumors: cause, consequence, or clue?
NCT ID NCT07809100
First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers want to know whether the bacteria living in and around head and neck squamous cell carcinoma differ from those in healthy tissue. Adults scheduled for a standard throat examination because of suspected cancer give three extra samples during that procedure: tumor tissue, nearby healthy tissue, and throat secretions. The team sequences the bacterial DNA in each sample and compares the results, then checks whether bacterial patterns line up with tumor stage, type, or other clinical features. The goal is to learn whether the microbiome could one day help diagnose this cancer or serve as a target for treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Additional research biopsies of tumor tissue, healthy mucosa, and pharyngeal secretions collected during a standard throat examination
- What this could lead to
- If researchers find distinct bacterial patterns in tumors, that could point toward new ways to diagnose head and neck cancer or treat it by changing the microbiome.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, so it cannot prove that bacteria cause or worsen the cancer. The samples come from a small group of patients at one point in time, and the low amounts of bacterial DNA in these sites make the analysis technically difficult.
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 120 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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Dec 2027
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: * Adult patient * Consultation in the ENT department for suspected squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract scheduled for panendoscopy * Patient has provided consent to participate in the study and signed an informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: * Antibiotic or corticosteroid therapy within 12 weeks prior to consultation * Conditions associated with immunosuppression: * Uncontrolled HIV infection (CD4 \< 200 cells/µL) (permanent exclusion) * Hematologic malignancies currently under treatment or not in complete remission for \<2 years * Autoimmune diseases under immunosuppressive treatment * Solid organ or stem cell transplant recipients (permanent exclusion) * Poorly controlled diabetes (HbA1c \> 9%) * Immunomodulatory treatment within 3 months prior to consultation: * Immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1/PD-L1, anti-CTLA-4) * Biotherapy targeting the immune system (anti-TNF, anti-IL, calcineurin inhibitors, antimetabolites) * Recurrent upper aerodigestive tract cancer previously treated with surgery and/or radiochemotherapy * Pregnancy (confirmed prior to panendoscopy) * Patient who does not speak or understand French * Subject under guardianship or curatorship * Subject not affiliated with the national health insurance system
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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.
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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Centre Hospitalier Sud Francilien
Corbeil-Essonnes, France, 91100, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Glow-in-the-Dark dye could help surgeons spot hidden cancer cells
- Sound waves zapped into brain to kill cancer pain without drugs
- Experimental cancer drug TAK-500 tested in 61 patients – study halted early
- New daily adaptive radiotherapy aims to spare saliva glands in head and neck cancer patients
- Can scans and DNA predict cancer treatment success?