HOPE: Using tumor omics to guide precision medicine for head and neck cancer

Head and Neck Cancer Omics-integrated Precision mEdicine (HOPE)

This project will try using detailed genetic and molecular testing of tumors from adults with head and neck cancer to see if it can help guide more personalized treatment decisions.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 350 (estimated)
• Ages: 20 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Samsung Medical Center (other)
• Drugs / interventions: chemotherapy, radiation, pembrolizumab, immunotherapy, cetuximab
• Locations: 1 site (Seoul, Seoul)
• Trial ID: NCT07190573 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This observational program collects tumor and clinical data from adults with histologically confirmed head and neck cancers to generate genomic, transcriptomic, and other molecular profiles. Participants include a broad range of head and neck sites and histologies, including squamous cell carcinoma and salivary gland tumors, whether newly diagnosed or previously treated. Molecular results will be integrated with clinical information to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets, but treatment choices remain determined by treating physicians. The effort aims to build an omics database at Samsung Medical Center to inform future precision oncology approaches in head and neck cancer.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults aged 20 years or older with histologically confirmed head and neck cancer who are scheduled to receive or have received appropriate treatment and can provide informed consent are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients without available tumor tissue, those unable to attend the Seoul center, those who cannot give consent, or whose tumors lack actionable molecular findings may not directly benefit from the program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help match patients to more effective, individualized therapies based on tumor molecular features, potentially improving outcomes and avoiding ineffective treatments.

How similar studies have performed: Similar omics-driven precision oncology approaches have shown promise in other cancers and some head and neck series, but omics-guided personalized treatment for HNC is still an emerging approach with limited definitive survival benefit to date.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults aged 20 years or older

  * Histologically confirmed head and neck cancer (including cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, salivary glands, and other head and neck sites) Patients diagnosed at outside institutions but pathologically confirmed as head and neck cancer at Samsung Medical Center are also eligible.)

    * Patients with similar histologic types (including squamous cell carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma, nonkeratinizing carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma), as well as cancers of unknown primary, salivary gland cancers, head and neck malignant melanoma, sarcomas, and other malignancies are eligible.

      * Diagnosed with head and neckk cancer and scheduled to receive, or previously received, appropriate treatment (radiation therapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, or surgery).

        * Ability to understand the purpose of the study and willingness to sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, makes the patient unsuitable for study participation.

Where this trial is running

Seoul, Seoul

• Samsung Medical Center — Seoul, Seoul, South Korea (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Nayeon Choi, M.D.

Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma