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Oropharyngeal Cancer clinical trials at UCSF

12 in progress, 3 open to eligible people

Oropharyngeal cancer affects the throat area. UCSF is conducting trials to compare different doses of cisplatin with radiation, evaluate the effects of NT-I7 on recurrent cancer, and test adding atezolizumab to usual treatments. These studies explore various methods to treat head and neck cancer.

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  • Comparing High-Dose Cisplatin Every Three Weeks to Low-Dose Cisplatin Weekly When Combined With Radiation for Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This phase II/III trial compares the effect of the combination of high-dose cisplatin every three weeks and radiation therapy versus low-dose cisplatin weekly and radiation therapy for the treatment of patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. This study is being done to find out if low-dose cisplatin given weekly together with radiation therapy is the same or better than high-dose cisplatin given every 3 weeks together with radiation therapy in treating patients with head and neck cancer.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • NT-I7 for the Treatment of Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck Undergoing Surgery

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This phase I trial evaluates the side effects of NT-I7 in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck that has come back (recurrent) who are undergoing surgery. NT-I7 is an immunotherapy drug that works by helping the immune system fight tumor cells. The body produces T-cells which play an important role in body's immune response and its ability to recognize tumor cells. This immunotherapy drug may boost body's T-cells to help fight cancer and enhance body's response to cancer.

    San Francisco, California

  • Testing Docetaxel-Cetuximab or the Addition of an Immunotherapy Drug, Atezolizumab, to the Usual Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in High-Risk Head and Neck Cancer

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This phase II/III trial studies how well radiation therapy works when given together with cisplatin, docetaxel, cetuximab, and/or atezolizumab after surgery in treating patients with high-risk stage III-IV head and neck cancer the begins in the thin, flat cells (squamous cell). Specialized radiation therapy that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody that may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. The purpose of this study is to compare the usual treatment (radiation therapy with cisplatin chemotherapy) to using radiation therapy with docetaxel and cetuximab chemotherapy, and using the usual treatment plus an immunotherapy drug, atezolizumab.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • Cemiplimab and ISA101b in Patients With Recurrent/Metastatic HPV16 Positive OPC

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This will be an open-label, phase 2 study in which subjects will receive ISA101b and cemiplimab.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • Cemiplimab ± ISA101b in HPV16-Positive OPC

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This will be a blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized, phase 2 study in which subjects will be randomly assigned 1:1 to cemiplimab plus placebo or cemiplimab plus ISA101b.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • De-intensified Radiation Therapy With Chemotherapy (Cisplatin) or Immunotherapy (Nivolumab) in Treating Patients With Early-Stage, HPV-Positive, Non-Smoking Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This phase II/III trial studies how well a reduced dose of radiation therapy works with nivolumab compared to cisplatin in treating patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer that is early in its growth and may not have spread to other parts of the body (early-stage), and is not associated with smoking. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. This trial is being done to see if a reduced dose of radiation therapy and nivolumab works as well as standard dose radiation therapy and cisplatin in treating patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

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

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy is more effective with cisplatin or cetuximab in treating oropharyngeal cancer. PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying radiation therapy with cisplatin or cetuximab to see how well it works in treating patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • Radiation Therapy With Durvalumab or Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Locoregionally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Who Cannot Take Cisplatin

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This phase II/III trial studies how well radiation therapy works with durvalumab or cetuximab in treating patients with head and neck cancer that has spread to a local and/or regional area of the body who cannot take cisplatin. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as durvalumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody that may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. It is not known if radiation therapy with durvalumab will work better than the usual therapy of radiation therapy with cetuximab in treating patients with head and neck cancer.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • Reduced-Dose Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy With or Without Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Advanced Oropharyngeal Cancer

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This randomized phase II trial studies the side effects and how well modestly reduced-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with or without cisplatin works in treating patients with oropharyngeal cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). Radiation therapy uses high energy x rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known whether IMRT is more effective with or without cisplatin in treating patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • PDS0101 and Pembrolizumab Combination I/O in Subjects With HPV16 + Recurrent and/or Metastatic HNSCC

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    VERSATILE-002 is a Phase 2, open-label, multicenter study of the efficacy and safety of PDS0101 administered in combination with pembrolizumab in adults with HPV16 and PD-L1 positive recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • Transoral Surgery Followed By Low-Dose or Standard-Dose Radiation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With HPV Positive Stage III-IVA Oropharyngeal Cancer

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This randomized phase II trial studies how well transoral surgery followed by low-dose or standard-dose radiation therapy works in treating patients with human papilloma virus (HPV) positive stage III-IVA oropharyngeal cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery. It is not yet known how much extra treatment needs to be given after surgery.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • People Living With HIV, Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer, and Health Equity

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    This is an exploratory qualitative study among People Living With HIV (PLWH) of diverse racial/ethnic and sexual and gender minority (SGM) identities to explore individual, interpersonal, and structural oral health equity factors that serve as barriers or facilitators of accessing oral health care, knowledge and perceptions of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) /Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), and to collect recommendations on how to increase access to oral health care and engage PLWH in OSCC/OPSCC prevention.

    San Francisco, California

Our lead scientists for Oropharyngeal Cancer research studies include .

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