CancerDrs Find care

Head and Neck Cancer clinical trials

300 actively recruiting head and neck cancer trials in the United States. Cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and salivary glands. HPV-driven and smoking-driven subtypes behave differently; trials often stratify on HPV status.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov · last refreshed · Head and Neck Cancer stats on SEER

58
Phase 1
114
Phase 2
14
Phase 3
7
Phase 4
107
Other

Head and Neck Cancer by the numbers (U.S.)

59,660
Estimated new cases (2025)
12,770
Estimated deaths (2025)
69.5%
5-year relative survival
65
Median age at diagnosis

Source: NCI SEER Cancer Stat Facts

Browse head and neck cancer trials by state

Texas 104 California 100 New York 95 Florida 81 Pennsylvania 64 Ohio 59 Massachusetts 56 Tennessee 56 Michigan 54 Virginia 46 Missouri 42 North Carolina 42 Illinois 41 Maryland 41 New Jersey 41 Minnesota 37 Colorado 34 Georgia 34 Washington 33 Wisconsin 32 Connecticut 29 Oregon 28 Arizona 27 South Carolina 26 Utah 24 Indiana 21 Kentucky 20 Nebraska 20 Oklahoma 18 District of Columbia 17 Louisiana 17 Iowa 16 Kansas 14 Alabama 13 Arkansas 13 South Dakota 12 North Dakota 11 New Mexico 9 Delaware 8 Montana 8 Nevada 8 Rhode Island 7 Idaho 6 New Hampshire 6 Vermont 6 West Virginia 6 Maine 4 Alaska 3 Mississippi 3 Hawaii 2 Wyoming 2

Top trials by phase + site coverage

Phase 3 Recruiting NIH

Testing the Addition of an Immunotherapy Drug, Cemiplimab (REGN2810), Plus Surgery to the Usual Surgery Alone for Treating Advanced Skin Cancer

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding cemiplimab to standard therapy (surgery with or without radiation) versus standard therapy alone in treating patients with stage III/IV squamous cell skin cancer that is able to be removed…

Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCT ID: NCT06568172
Locations:
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center — Birmingham, Alabama
  • Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center — Gilbert, Arizona
  • Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona — Phoenix, Arizona

+ 189 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Academic/Other

High-dose Prophylactic Gabapentin (HOPE) vs. Placebo to Prevent Opioid Use for Oral Mucositis Pain During Concurrent Chemoradiation for Head and Neck Cancer

This phase III trial tests if gabapentin can prevent the need for opiate pain medication for mouth sores (oral mucositis) in patients undergoing treatment with chemotherapy and radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck reg…

Sponsor: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
NCT ID: NCT06992427
Locations:
  • Arizona Center for Cancer Care - Gilbert — Gilbert, Arizona
  • Arizona Center for Cancer Care-Peoria — Peoria, Arizona
  • Arizona Center for Cancer Care - Biltmore — Phoenix, Arizona

+ 184 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting NIH

Testing the Addition of Anti-Cancer Drug, Cetuximab, to Standard of Care Treatment (Pembrolizumab) for Returning or Spreading Head and Neck Cancer After Previous Treatment

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding cetuximab to pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent) a…

Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCT ID: NCT06589804
Locations:
  • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences — Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Fremont - Rideout Cancer Center — Marysville, California
  • VA Palo Alto Health Care System — Palo Alto, California

+ 173 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 2, Phase 3 Recruiting Academic/Other

Comparing Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) Biopsy With Standard Neck Dissection for Patients With Early-Stage Oral Cavity Cancer

This phase II/III trial studies how well sentinel lymph node biopsy works and compares sentinel lymph node biopsy surgery to standard neck dissection as part of the treatment for early-stage oral cavity cancer. Sentinel lymph node biopsy s…

Sponsor: NRG Oncology
NCT ID: NCT04333537
Locations:
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center — Birmingham, Alabama
  • Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center — Gilbert, Arizona
  • Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona — Phoenix, Arizona

+ 102 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Industry

A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate Petosemtamab Compared With Investigator's Choice Monotherapy in Previously Treated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

This is a phase 3 open-label, randomized, controlled, multicenter study to compare petosemtamab vs investigator's choice monotherapy in HNSCC patients for the second- and third-line treatment of incurable metastatic/recurrent disease.

Sponsor: Merus B.V.
NCT ID: NCT06496178
Locations:
  • Site 160 — Mobile, Alabama
  • Site 102 — Prescott, Arizona
  • Site 125 — Scottsdale, Arizona

+ 55 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Industry

A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate Petosemtamab Plus Pembrolizumab vs Pembrolizumab in First-line Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer (LiGeR - HN1)

This is a Phase 3 randomized, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of petosemtamab plus pembrolizumab vs pembrolizumab in first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic PD-L1+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Sponsor: Merus B.V.
NCT ID: NCT06525220
Locations:
  • Site 164 — Mobile, Alabama
  • Site 36 — La Jolla, California
  • Site 27 — Los Angeles, California

+ 33 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Industry

A Study of Dostarlimab vs Placebo After Chemoradiation in Adult Participants With Locally Advanced Unresected Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The goal of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of Dostarlimab compared to Placebo in adult participants with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

Sponsor: GlaxoSmithKline
NCT ID: NCT06256588
Locations:
  • GSK Investigational Site — Jonesboro, Arkansas
  • GSK Investigational Site — Los Angeles, California
  • GSK Investigational Site — Solvang, California

+ 26 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Industry

A Study of Ficlatuzumab in Combination With Cetuximab in Participants With Recurrent or Metastatic (R/M) HPV Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of ficlatuzumab plus cetuximab compared to placebo plus cetuximab in participants with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HPV-negative Head and Neck Cancer. The primary hypothesis is …

Sponsor: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
NCT ID: NCT06064877
Locations:
  • Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center — Gilbert, Arizona
  • The University of Arizona Cancer Center — Tucson, Arizona
  • University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, California

+ 25 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Industry

JNJ-90301900 (NBTXR3) Activated by Radiotherapy With or Without Cetuximab in LA-HNSCC

This is a global, open-label, randomized, 2-arm, Investigator's choice Phase 3 (Pivotal Stage) study to investigate the efficacy and safety of JNJ-90301900 (NBTXR3) / radiation therapy (RT)±cetuximab versus RT±cetuximab in treatment-naïve,…

Sponsor: Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc.
NCT ID: NCT04892173
Locations:
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, Alabama
  • City of Hope — Duarte, California
  • University of California at San Diego Moores Cancer Center — La Jolla, California

+ 23 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Network

SPECT-CT Guided ELEctive Contralateral Neck Treatment for Patients With Lateralized Oropharyngeal Cancer

This study is being done to answer the following question: Is the chance of cancer spreading or returning the same if radiotherapy to the neck is guided, by using a special imaging study called lymph node mapping (lymphatic mapping) Single…

Sponsor: Canadian Cancer Trials Group
NCT ID: NCT05451004
Locations:
  • City of Hope Corona — Corona, California
  • City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center — Duarte, California
  • City of Hope at Irvine Lennar — Irvine, California

+ 23 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Industry

Using 18F-FAPI PET to Detect Metastatic Disease in Patients That Have Gastric or Esophageal Cancer.

This is a multi-site, open-label, non-randomized, single dose study to assess the clinical utility of \[¹⁸F\]FAPI-74 PET/CT in the detection of metastatic disease in individuals with pathologically confirmed gastric, gastroesophageal junct…

Sponsor: SOFIE
NCT ID: NCT07217704
Locations:
  • Helios CR Inc./RadNet — Cerritos, California
  • Hoag Memorial Hospital — Irvine, California
  • UCLA — Los Angeles, California

+ 7 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Phase 3 Recruiting Industry

A Study of ASP-1929 Photoimmunotherapy in Combination With Pembrolizumab in First-line Treatment of Locoregional Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck With No Distant Metastases

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy (PIT) in combination with pembrolizumab works to treat recurrent squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (HNSCC) with no distant metastases. It will also learn ab…

Sponsor: Rakuten Medical, Inc.
NCT ID: NCT06699212
Locations:
  • City of Hope — Duarte, California
  • University of Miami — Miami, Florida
  • Tampa General Hospital — Tampa, Florida

+ 5 more sites in the U.S.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Showing 12 of 300 trials. See all on ClinicalTrials.gov

Medical disclaimer: Information on this page aggregates public ClinicalTrials.gov data. It is not medical advice. Always confirm eligibility and enrollment details with the trial site or your oncologist.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 · Last checked: 2026-04-20