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Head and Neck Cancer

Part of Cancer

Subtypes of Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma 15 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma 13 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma 11 Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma 10 Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma 8 Thyroid Nodules 5 Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma 4 Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma 2 Recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma 2 Oral leukoplakia 1 Papillary Thyroid Cancer 1 Salivary gland cancer 1 Thyroid carcinoma 1 Thyroid Neoplasm 1 Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma 0 Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma 0

86 published articles · Updated continuously

Clinical Trial Landscape

Clinical Trials for Head and Neck Cancer

348 trials tracked for Head and Neck Cancer: 40 in phase 3 or 4 and 21 with published results. The most-cited published study has 1687 citations.

348Trials tracked

40Phase 3 & 4

0Recruiting

21With published results

Phase distribution

Phase 4 6 Phase 3 34 Phase 2 212 Phase 1 24 Other / NA 72

Phase 3 Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Versus Standard Treatment for Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer (MK-3475-040/KEYNOTE-040) Completed · 1,687 cited
Phase 3 Radiation Therapy With Cisplatin or Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer Completed · 1,289 cited
Phase 3 Radiation Therapy and Cisplatin With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer Completed · 832 cited
Phase 3 A Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) for First Line Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck (MK-3475-048/KEYNOTE-048) Completed · 484 cited
Phase 3 Study of MEDI4736 Monotherapy and in Combination With Tremelimumab Versus Standard of Care Therapy in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Completed · 363 cited
Phase 3 Radiation Therapy, Amifostine, and Chemotherapy in Treating Young Patients With Newly Diagnosed Nasopharyngeal Cancer Completed · 265 cited

Show 44 more trials

Phase 3 Tislelizumab Combined With Chemotherapy Versus Chemotherapy Alone in Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Cancer (NPC) Completed · 211 cited
Phase 3 Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) or Placebo With Chemoradiation in Participants With Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (MK-3475-412/KEYNOTE-412) Completed · 205 cited
Phase 3 Study of Nivolumab in Combination With Ipilimumab Compared to the Standard of Care (Extreme Regimen) as First Line Treatment in Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Completed · 157 cited
Phase 4 Health Education Counseling With or Without Bupropion in Helping African Americans Stop Smoking Completed · 112 cited
Phase 3 Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Platinum Pre-treated Recurrent/Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Cancer (MK-3475-122/KEYNOTE-122) Completed · 105 cited
Phase 3 Doxepin Hydrochloride in Treating Oral Mucositis Pain in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy Completed · 89 cited
Phase 3 Radiation + Cisplatin or Panitumumab in Locally Advanced Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer Completed · 71 cited
Phase 3 Phase III Trial to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Cetuximab for the Treatment of Chinese Participants With Head and Neck Cancer Completed · 61 cited
Phase 3 LUX-Head&Neck 3: Afatinib (BIBW2992) Versus Methotrexate for the Treatment of Recurrent and/or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer After Platinum Based Chemotherapy Completed · 58 cited
Phase 4 A Study of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) Plus Carboplatin and Paclitaxel as First-line Treatment of Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (MK-3475-B10/KEYNOTE B10) Completed · 54 cited
Phase 3 Radiation Therapy With Durvalumab or Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Locoregionally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Who Cannot Take Cisplatin Completed · 53 cited
Phase 3 Acupuncture-Like Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (ALTENS) or Pilocarpine in Treating Early Dry Mouth in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer Completed · 50 cited
Phase 4 Perioperative Gabapentin Use In Head And Neck Mucosal Surgery Patients Completed · 30 cited
Phase 3 Pembrolizumab Plus Epacadostat, Pembrolizumab Monotherapy, and the EXTREME Regimen in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (KEYNOTE-669/ECHO-304) Completed · 12 cited
Phase 4 LigaSure Small Jaw® Versus Conventional Neck Dissection in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Completed · 7 cited
Phase 4 Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Tumors Completed
Phase 4 Counseling and Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Helping Adult Smokers Quit Smoking Completed
Phase 3 Study of Prophylactic Topical Dapsone 5% Gel Versus Moisturizer for Cetuximab-induced Papulopustular (Acneiform) Rash in Patients With mCRC or HNSCC Without Previous or Concurrent RT Completed
Phase 3 Phase III Study of Vinflunine Plus Methotrexate Versus Methotrexate Alone in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Manuka Honey for Oral Mucositis Due to Radiation Therapy for Cancer Completed
Phase 3 Modified Dakin's Solution in Reducing Radiation-Induced Dermatitis in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy Completed
Phase 3 Gabapentin Compared to Standard of Care in Preventing Mucositis in Patients With Stage III-IV Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Primary or Adjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy Completed
Phase 3 Radiation Therapy Cisplatin With or Without Fluorouracil Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 GM-CSF Mouthwash for Preventing and Treating Mucositis in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 A Study for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 Study of Panitumumab Efficacy in Patients With Recurrent and/or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 Study Of Adjuvant Lapatinib In High-Risk Head And Neck Cancer Subjects After Surgery Completed
Phase 3 LUX-Head&Neck 1: A Phase III Trial of Afatinib (BIBW2992) Versus Methotrexate for the Treatment of Recurrent and/or Metastatic (R/M) Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer After Platinum Based Chemotherapy Completed
Phase 3 Zalutumumab in Patients With Non-curable Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 Palifermin for the Reduction of Oral Mucositis in Patients With Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 Cetuximab (Erbitux) in Combination With Cisplatin or Carboplatin and 5-Fluorouracil in the First Line Treatment of Subjects With Recurrent and/or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (EXTREME) Completed
Phase 3 Combination Chemotherapy and Radiation in Treating Patients With Stage III or IV Head and Neck Cancer (Paradigm Trial) Completed
Phase 3 Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy With or Without Surgery in Treating Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 3 Low-level Laser Therapy to Prevent Oral Mucositis in Head and Neck Patients Completed
Phase 2 Dual Inhibition of EGFR With Afatinib and Cetuximab in the Treatment of Advanced Squamous Cell Cancers of the Head and Neck Completed
Phase 2 A Study of ALKS 4230 (Nemvaleukin Alfa) With Pembrolizumab in Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 2 Trial of RAD001 and Erlotinib With Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Completed
Phase 2 Immunotherapy With MK-3475 in Surgically Resectable Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Completed
Phase 2 Adjuvant Cetuximab and Chemoradiotherapy Using Either Cisplatin or Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Resected Stage III or Stage IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma or Lymphoepithelioma of the Head and Neck Completed
Phase 2 Gemcitabine and Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Persistent, Recurrent, or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 2 Trial To Test Safety And Efficacy Of Vaccination For Incurable HPV 16-Related Oropharyngeal, Cervical And Anal Cancer Completed
Phase 2 Cetuximab, Chemotherapy, and Radiation Therapy for Operable Stage III or IV Head and Neck Cancer Completed
Phase 2 De-intensification of Radiation & Chemotherapy in Low-Risk Human Papillomavirus-related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Ca Completed
Phase 2 A Study of the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Epacadostat Administered in Combination With Nivolumab in Select Advanced Cancers (ECHO-204) Completed

Showing the 50 most-cited and recently-updated of 348 trials. Browse the full registry →

Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Counts describe the research landscape and are not a treatment recommendation. Informational only — not medical advice.

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Research across Cancer

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SABR Protocol Deviations Linked to Poorer Survival in Oligometastatic Head and Neck Cancer

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Imagine waking up after major cancer surgery.

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Case report suggests grade 3 ICI-induced inflammatory arthritis may correlate with sustained response to tislelizumab in advanced head and neck carcinoma

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Case report suggests grade 3 ICI-induced inflammatory arthritis may correlate with sustained response to tislelizumab in advanced head and neck carcinoma Could a painful joint flare actually signal that cancer treatment is working long-term?

This case report and literature review describes a single patient with advanced unknown primary carcinoma of the head and neck receiving mai…

A patient with advanced head and neck cancer stayed in complete remission for over a year after joint pain from treatment forced doctors to …

Frontiers Apr 14, 2026

Questions about Head and Neck Cancer

What is the risk of acute kidney disease for head and neck cancer patients treated with cisplatin?

Cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer carries a high risk of acute kidney injury, with reported incidences ranging from 20% to 69% depending on the cisplatin regimen and patient factors.

Full answer →