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ClinicalTrials.gov 89 recruiting now official registry

Head and Neck Cancer clinical trials

89 of 260 indexed Head and Neck Cancer trials are currently recruiting.

260 US clinical trials · 89 currently recruiting

Head and Neck Cancer is the subject of 260 registered US clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov, 89 of them currently open to new participants. 13 are in Phase 3-4 (later-stage) and 137 in Phase 1-2 (earlier-stage). The most active sponsor is M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, running 19 of these trials.

The research picture

Head and Neck Cancer has 260 registered US clinical trials, 89 of them open to new participants right now, about 34% of the total.

89
recruiting participants now
34%
of trials open to enrollment
13
in Phase 3–4 (later-stage)
19
top sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Phase 163Phase 274Phase 311Phase 42

Active & Recent Trials

260 total, page 4 of 6

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING NA 12 participants

Hypofractionated Preoperative Radiation for Head and Neck Cancers (HyPR-HN)

Medical College of Wisconsin

NCT05538533

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING Phase 1 12 participants

Imaging With a PET Agent for Detection of Cancers of the Head and Neck

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

NCT03631017

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING Phase 2 9 participants

ASP-1929 Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) Study in Patients With Recurrent Head/Neck Cancer

Rakuten Medical

NCT05182866

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING Phase 2 5 participants

Trial of Ibrutinib Combined With Nivolumab or Cetuximab to Treat Recurrent/Metastatic HNSCC

University of California, San Diego

NCT03646461

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING Phase 2 4 participants

A Study of Xevinapant With Cisplatin and Radiation Therapy After Surgery in People With Head and Neck Cancer

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

NCT06145412

COMPLETED 3,028 participants

Creation of the BioBank, Early Detection and Discovery Biomarkers

Corewell Health East

NCT00901680

COMPLETED 1,429 participants

PRospective REgistry of Advanced Stage CancER (PREFER) Patients to Assess Prevalence of Actionable Biomarkers and Driver Mutations to Address Disparities in Precision Medicine

Labcorp Corporation of America Holdings

NCT05697198

COMPLETED NA 1,053 participants

Effectiveness of Lay Navigators in Meeting Cancer Patients' Non-Clinical Needs: A Pilot Study

Stanford University

NCT03245788

COMPLETED Phase 3 987 participants

Radiation Therapy With Cisplatin or Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

NCT01302834

COMPLETED Phase 3 743 participants

Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy With or Without Surgery in Treating Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

NCT00047008

COMPLETED 352 participants

Blood Proteins in Predicting Treatment Benefit in Patients With Recurrent and/or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

NCT00896675

COMPLETED Phase 1 313 participants

Study of Cabiralizumab in Combination With Nivolumab in Patients With Selected Advanced Cancers

Five Prime Therapeutics

NCT02526017

COMPLETED 252 participants

Sexual Behavior in Oropharyngeal Patients Versus Head and Neck Cancer Patients, With or Without HPV Infection

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

NCT00508170

COMPLETED NA 250 participants

Enhanced Care Coordination for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

University of Pittsburgh

NCT04813172

COMPLETED 182 participants

Reliability and Validity of Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Head and Neck Cancer

Mayo Clinic

NCT02554968

COMPLETED Phase 3 145 participants

Combination Chemotherapy and Radiation in Treating Patients With Stage III or IV Head and Neck Cancer (Paradigm Trial)

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

NCT00095875

COMPLETED Phase 2 134 participants

Fruit and Vegetable Extracts in Treating Patients With Stage I-IV, Stage IVA/IVB Head and Neck Cancer

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

NCT00064298

COMPLETED Phase 4 123 participants

Perioperative Gabapentin Use In Head And Neck Mucosal Surgery Patients

Washington University School of Medicine

NCT02926573

COMPLETED Phase 2 122 participants

A Study of MEHD7945A Versus Cetuximab in Patients With Recurrent/Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of The Head And Neck

Genentech

NCT01577173

COMPLETED NA 112 participants

Use of a Non-ICU Specialty Ward For Immediate Post-operative Management of Head and Neck Free Flaps

University of California, Davis

NCT03340038

COMPLETED Phase 2 109 participants

Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Solid Tumors

Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology

NCT00003565

COMPLETED Phase 1 93 participants

Optimization of Smoking Cessation Strategies Concurrent With Treatment of Tobacco Related Malignancies

University of Kentucky

NCT02048917

COMPLETED 70 participants

Pharmacogenomic Study in Patients of Lung, Colorectal and Head/Neck Cancers Receiving Chemotherapy

University of Kansas Medical Center

NCT00442520

COMPLETED Phase 2 70 participants

Trial of Induction Chemotherapy With Carboplatin and Paclitaxel, Followed by Concurrent Chemotherapy/Radiation Therapy With ZD1839 (IRESSA), 5-FU, Hydroxyurea, and Twice-Daily Radiation, Followed by Adjuvant ZD1839 Monotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Head & Neck Cancer

University of Chicago

NCT01185171

COMPLETED Phase 2 70 participants

Reproducibility of 18F Uptake by Solid Tumors Using PET Imaging Following Intravenous Administration of (18F) Injection

GE Healthcare

NCT00918281

COMPLETED Phase 2 70 participants

Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Following Surgery in Treating Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

NCT00011999

COMPLETED 66 participants

Validity and Reliability of Outcome Measures in Patients With Cancer of the Head and Neck

Mayo Clinic

NCT01952821

COMPLETED 65 participants

Feasibility Study of the Head and Neck Survivorship Tool: Assessment and Recommendations (HN-STAR)

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

NCT02571673

COMPLETED Phase 2 64 participants

Adaptive Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

NCT03096808

COMPLETED Phase 2 60 participants

Cisplatin and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Cancer of the Head and Neck

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

NCT00002932

COMPLETED NA 60 participants

2 Phase Use Of Educational Materials In Head And Neck Cancer Center

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT02204631

COMPLETED Phase 3 60 participants

Nutrition and Resistance Training in Head and Neck Cancer

Vanderbilt University

NCT00696553

COMPLETED Phase 1 59 participants

Pembrolizumab in Combination With CRT for LA-SCCHN

Sanford Health

NCT02586207

COMPLETED Phase 2 55 participants

Study of Chemotherapy With Cisplatin/Carboplatin, and Docetaxel With or Without Erlotinib in Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas Amenable for Surgical Resection

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

NCT01927744

COMPLETED NA 53 participants

Low-Cost, Portable Flexible Nasopharyngoscope in Head & Neck Cancers in Low Resource Settings - Optimization Phase

Duke University

NCT04905134

COMPLETED Phase 1 52 participants

A Study to Evaluate NT219 Alone and in Combination with ERBITUX® (Cetuximab) in Adults with Advanced Solid Tumors and Head and Neck Cancer

TyrNovo

NCT04474470

COMPLETED NA 52 participants

Imaging Study on Halcyon 4.0 System for Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy

Washington University School of Medicine

NCT05427214

COMPLETED NA 50 participants

Cross-Sectional Study of Oral Health in Patients After Parotid-Sparing Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer

University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center

NCT01663246

COMPLETED Phase 1 48 participants

Carboplatin, Capecitabine, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer

University of Virginia

NCT00114153

COMPLETED Phase 2 46 participants

Dentures and Dental Implants in Treating Patients Undergoing Surgery for Mouth Cancer

Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

NCT00006341

COMPLETED Phase 1 44 participants

LYT-200 Alone and in Combination With Chemotherapy or Tislelizumab in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors

PureTech

NCT04666688

COMPLETED Phase 1 43 participants

Study of the CD40 Agonistic Monoclonal Antibody APX005M

Apexigen America

NCT02482168

COMPLETED Phase 2 40 participants

Multimodality Risk Adapted Tx Including Induction Chemo for SCCHN Amenable to Transoral Surgery

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

NCT01612351

COMPLETED NA 40 participants

Functional Sparing of Salivary Glands Using MRI Sialography for Patients Undergoing Definitive Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers of the Oropharynx

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

NCT03418792

COMPLETED Phase 1 40 participants

L-778,123 in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Solid Tumors

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

NCT00003430

COMPLETED 40 participants

Biopsy of Human Tumors for Cancer Stem Cell Characterization: a Feasibility Study

Stanford University

NCT00610415

COMPLETED Phase 1 39 participants

Phase IB Study Using Sunitinib Plus Radiation Therapy for Cancer Patients

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University

NCT00437372

COMPLETED Phase 1 38 participants

A First in Human, Dose Escalation Study of JAB-3068 (SHP2 Inhibitor) in Adult Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Jacobio Pharmaceuticals Co.

NCT03518554

COMPLETED Phase 2 38 participants

Zileuton in Preventing Lung Cancer in Patients With Bronchial Dysplasia

Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

NCT00056004

COMPLETED Phase 1 37 participants

Paclitaxel and Radiation Therapy Plus Chemoprotection With Amifostine in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer

Massachusetts General Hospital

NCT00003193

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Phase Distribution

PhaseTrial count
Phase 1 63
Phase 2 74
Phase 3 11
Phase 4 2

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, National Library of Medicine. Data is informational only.

Reading the Head and Neck Cancer Trial Landscape

260 indexed Head and Neck Cancer studies · 89 recruiting (34%).

Phase mix: 13 late (III/IV) vs 137 early (I/II).

Top sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (19 trials), 9 others listed. 50 shown below, recruiting first.

How to read this condition's trial landscape

That ratio is a useful proxy for activity level: a high share of recruiting studies often signals that research interest is current and that new enrollment opportunities are appearing, while a low share typically means the field is dominated by completed or follow-up work where most participant spots have already been filled. These counts reflect the public registry only and include studies at every stage of design, so they should be read as an index of research attention rather than as a measure of treatment availability.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies focus on early safety signals, dosing, and preliminary effect, while Phase 3 studies are typically the larger efficacy and safety trials submitted toward regulatory review, and Phase 4 studies follow approved interventions in real-world use. A condition weighted toward later phases often reflects a mature research pipeline with several interventions already close to or past approval, whereas a heavier early-phase tilt suggests the field is still exploring new mechanisms and candidate approaches.

All figures are derived from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset maintained by the National Library of Medicine and are reproduced here for reference. Inclusion of a trial, sponsor, or intervention on this page is neither an endorsement nor a recommendation, eligibility, protocol changes, and site-level status can shift frequently, so always verify current details on ClinicalTrials.gov and consult a qualified healthcare provider before acting on anything you see here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many clinical trials are there for Head and Neck Cancer?

PlainTrial tracks 260 US clinical trials for Head and Neck Cancer, of which 89 are currently recruiting participants. Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov.

How do I find a recruiting trial for Head and Neck Cancer?

Use the trial list above filtered by "Recruiting" status, or visit our trial finder at /recruiting to search by condition and state. Always discuss trial participation with your healthcare provider before enrolling.

Is this data current?

Data is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and reflects our most recent data pull. Trial status may have changed since then. Always verify current information at ClinicalTrials.gov before making decisions about participation.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (National Library of Medicine). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH/NLM) ClinicalTrials.gov AACT registry · 2026 Trial counts and statuses sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Sponsor counts include both industry and federal/academic sponsors.

Verify with NIH →

Every figure on PlainTrial is rendered directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov registry, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates every registered trial for this condition, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.