Head and neck cancer clinical trials are important research studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of promising new therapies in comparison to the currently available options. The goal is to find better ways to treat cancer – and ultimately find a cure – while enhancing patient quality of life.
Full Answer
What are head and neck cancer clinical trials?
To make scientific advances, doctors create research studies involving volunteers, called clinical trials. Every drug that is now approved by the FDA was tested in clinical trials. Clinical trials are used for all types and stages of head and neck cancer.
What is the head and Neck Cancer Alliance doing to help?
The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance is proud to announce that we offer a limited supply of BP and Exxon gas cards in the amount of $50.00 to head and neck cancer patients in need. This patient assistance is made possible by two private donors to whom we are greatly indebted. If you need assistance, please contact us at (866) 792-HNCA (4622).
Why do people volunteer for head and neck cancer clinical trials?
Other people volunteer for clinical trials because they know that these studies are a way to contribute to the progress in treating head and neck cancer. Even if they do not benefit directly from the clinical trial, their participation may benefit future patients with head and neck cancer.
What resources are available to help with head and neck cancer?
Here is a list of resources dedicated to helping with these disease-related financial burdens. The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance is proud to announce that we offer a limited supply of BP and Exxon gas cards in the amount of $50.00 to head and neck cancer patients in need.
What resources are available for cancer patients?
How Do I Find These Resources?Resources.CancerCare. 800-813-HOPE (4673) www.cancercare.org.211 Collaborative. www.211.org.American Cancer Society. 800-227-2345. www.cancer.org.U.S. Administration on Aging. 800-677-1116. www.eldercare.gov.The United Way. (find your local United Way at www.liveunited.org)
What percentage of all cancers do head and neck cancers account for?
Head and neck cancers account for nearly 4% of all cancers in the United States (31). These cancers are more than twice as common among men as they are among women (31). Head and neck cancers are also diagnosed more often among people over age 50 than they are among younger people.
Which is a problem for patients with head and neck cancer?
Background Patients with head and neck cancer often experience debilitating speech, eating, and respiratory problems as well as the psychological effects of loss of function and change in body image.
Can you live with head and neck cancer?
For all head and neck cancer subtypes, one-year survival falls between 1 and 5 years after diagnosis, though the gradient of the fall varies between subtypes. For most head and neck cancer subtypes, one-year survival falls between 5 and 10 years after diagnosis.
Are head and neck cancers curable?
How head and neck cancer is treated. Many cancers of the head and neck can be cured, especially if they are found early. Although eliminating the cancer is the primary goal of treatment, preserving the function of the nearby nerves, organs, and tissues is also very important.
What is the most common site for head and neck tumors?
The oral cavity was the most frequent anatomical site for the head and neck cancers accounting for 37.3 % of patients (Table 1).
How long can you live with metastatic head and neck cancer?
The prognosis of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer is generally poor. The median survival in most series is 6 to 15 months depending on patient- and disease-related factors. Symptom-directed care plays an important role in the management of these patients.
What is the survival rate of head and neck cancer?
Prognosis for Head and Neck Cancer The overall survival rate for head and neck cancer has risen since 2001. However, it still remains about 50%, which means that half of people with the condition will die within five years. Discovering the disease in the early stages improves the chance of complete recovery.
Is Stage 3 neck cancer curable?
They are usually curable. Stage III and IV cancers have usually spread to nearby lymph nodes, and/or are large tumors. They usually require more complicated treatment and have a smaller chance of cure, but most are potentially curable.
How long can you live with Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma?
For a patient with stage IV cancer, age must also be considered to prognose survival. For a patient who is 67 years or older, the expected median survival is a little more than 1 year. If this patient were younger than 67 years, then the expected median survival would be about 2 years.
Can Stage 4 throat cancer survive?
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) , the 5-year relative survival rate for the most advanced stage of throat cancer is 39.1 percent.
How long can you live with metastatic lymph node cancer?
A patient with widespread metastasis or with metastasis to the lymph nodes has a life expectancy of less than six weeks. A patient with metastasis to the brain has a more variable life expectancy (one to 16 months) depending on the number and location of lesions and the specifics of treatment.
What percentage of head and neck cancers are oropharyngeal?
The two most prevalent tumor sites for patients in the study cohort were the oropharynx (for 32.2% of the patients) and the larynx (31.5%);
Are head and neck cancers increasing?
According to the American Cancer Society, each year almost 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer, which often appears in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, thyroid glands, throat and larynx. Rates of head and neck cancer have risen in part due to human papilloma virus (HPV).
What is the most common cause of a neck mass?
Enlarged Lymph Nodes are the most common cause of neck masses. Lymph nodes play an essential part in our immune system.
What causes squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck?
The strongest risk factors for developing this form of cancer are tobacco use (including smoking or using chewing tobacco) and heavy alcohol consumption. In addition, studies have shown that infection with certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked to the development of HNSCC.
What is the purpose of the ENT study?
The purpose of this study is to obtain tissue, blood, saliva, and stool specimens and informed consent from ENT patients in order to build a freezer archive of samples to support ongoing and future developmental studies.
What antibodies can block tumor growth?
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 transmit tumor killing molecules to them.
Does Cabozantinib stop tumor growth?
Cabozantinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving cabozantinib, nivolumab and ipilimumab ...
Does cabozantinib help thyroid cancer?
Cabozantinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving cabozantinib, nivolumab and ipilimumab may work better than the usual approach consisting of chemotherapy with drugs such as doxorubicin, sorafenib, and lenvatinib for this type of thyroid cancer.
Does cisplatin kill cancer cells?
This randomized phase II/III trial studies how well radiation therapy works when given together with cisplatin compared to docetaxel or cetuximab and docetaxel after surgery in treating patients with stage III-IV squamous cell head and neck cancer. 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. 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 transmit tumor killing molecules to them. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy is more effective when given with cisplatin, docetaxel, or cetuximab and docetaxel.
Why do some patients not benefit from aggressive treatment?
Previous research has shown that some patients, such as the elderly, do not benefit from more aggressive treatment, because improvements in cancer control are often negated by patients’ risk of dying from other non-cancer causes.
What is a pro in cancer?
James Murphy, MD#N#The timely assessment of patient reported outcomes (PROs) represents a key component in caring for cancer patients. The definition of PRO includes any report of a patient’s health status coming directly from the patient including physical symptoms of disease, complications of treatment, and overall psychological well-being. Clinical trials have found that early assessment of PROs can reduce patient symptoms, improve quality of life, and even extend survival. Unfortunately, we lack systems in current practice that routinely capture PROs for the majority of patients with cancer. This inability to assess PROs particularly impacts minority patients – who can suffer from language barriers, cultural differences, and health literacy issues.
Why do people with cancer have trouble swallowing?
Patients with cancer of the mouth, throat, and voice box commonly have trouble swallowing because of their tumor and its treatment. For these patients, Speech pathologists help improve swallow function using personalized home swallowing exercises. To get the best possible outcome, patients must exercise every day.
What is the purpose of the study?
Bui, MD, PhD, is to generate a vaccine that closely mimics the cancer cell so that a highly specific immune response can be induced. This high level of specificity will increase the efficacy of the immune response while also limiting any off-target toxicity.
Can immune therapy help with cancer?
New immune therapies hold great promise for the treatment of cancer. However, in some tumors, proliferating macrophages drive resistance to these new therapeutics. This program, led by Judith A. Varner, PhD, and Megan M. Kaneda, PhD, will investigate a new approach to overcome macrophage-mediated resistance to immune therapy in head and neck cancer by targeting novel mechanisms that drive macrophage proliferation.
Can staging systems be used to determine the relative risk of dying from cancer?
Unfortunately, traditional methods of determining risk, such as staging systems, do not adequately take into account the relative risk of dying from cancer versus alternative causes of mortality.
Can you join a clinical trial?
Your physician may discuss with you the possibility of joining a clinical trial, which could offer new treatment approaches that are not otherwise available.
Single Arm for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using a combination of pembrolizumab and olaparib when given before and after standard chemoradiation therapy in treating locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Pembrolizumab and olaparib are drugs that are approved for head and neck cancer treatment.
Biopsy Cohort With NGM438 Monotherapy Lead-in Followed By Combination Therapy With Pembrolizumab for Prostate Cancer
Study of NGM438 as Monotherapy and in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors
NGM831 Combination Dose Finding With Pembrolizumab for Melanoma
Study of NGM831 as Monotherapy and in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors
AFM24 for Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
This study is evaluating whether a drug called SNK01 can be used to treat cancer.
MDNA11 for Melanoma
This is a Phase 1/2, multi-center, open-label, dose-escalation and expansion study to evaluate safety and tolerability, PK, pharmacodynamic, and early signal of anti-tumor activity of MDNA11 alone or in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor in patients with advanced solid tumors.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Testing for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This study is evaluating whether obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
NGM707 for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This study is evaluating whether a drug called NGM707 can be used to treat cancer.
Comprehensive Cancer Care
UC San Diego Health is the only National Cancer Institute -designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in San Diego County and is repeatedly ranked among the nation's best in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report . And our care doesn't end with state-of-the-art surgery, innovative clinical trials, and advanced technology.
Team Approach
We are a team of professionals that collaborate with you and your health care providers to provide world-class care in a caring, supportive environment.
Customized Treatment Strategy
We treat cancers and benign tumors throughout the head and neck. For more information on conditions we treat and how we customize your care, see Treatment Options.
Support Groups and Classes
As a head and neck cancer patient, you have access to a wide range of support services to help you and your family during your treatment. These support services include a Head and Neck Cancer Support Group, as well as chemotherapy classes, radiation therapy therapy classes, mind and body wellness groups, and others.
Survivorship Care: Supporting Lifelong Wellness
Your team will stay with you for years, offering follow-up care through our survivorship program.
Treatment Highlight: Proton Therapy and Brachytherapy
For patients with tumors in difficult areas, like the skull base close to the optic nerves or brain, we are pleased to offer our patients the option of proton beam radiation and brachytherapy. Dr. Parag Sanghvi is a leader in providing both proton therapy and brachytherapy for head and neck cancer patients.
How much does a BP gas card cost for head and neck cancer?
The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance is proud to announce that we offer a limited supply of BP and Exxon gas cards in the amount of $50.00 to head and neck cancer patients in need. This patient assistance is made possible by two private donors to whom we are greatly indebted. If you need assistance, please contact us at (866) 792-HNCA (4622).
What is CFAC in cancer?
CFAC is a coalition of financial assistance organizations joining forces to help cancer patients experience better health and well-being by limiting financial challenges
What is cancercare?
Cancercare. A national non-profit organization that provides free professional support services to anyone affected by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones, and the bereaved. Learn More.
Is head and neck cancer financially demanding?
Treatment for oral, head and neck cancers can be financially demanding as well as physically and emotionally. There are many organizations throughout the country, however, that work to help solve some of these financial issues for patients and their families. Here is a list of resources dedicated to helping with these disease-related financial ...
Does the government provide financial assistance for cancer patients?
Government healthcare programs also provide financial assistance for cancer patients. Some, like the Social Security Administration and the US Department of Health and Human Service, offer help in the form of entitlements primarily for low-income households, the elderly and the disabled.
