Using Toripalimab after surgery and radiation for head and neck cancer
Official title: A Phase II, Open-Label, Single-arm Study of Toripalimab As Consolidation Therapy After Postoperative Radiotherapy or Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCC)
Run by Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University · NCT04992559 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing if Toripalimab can help people with advanced head and neck cancer feel better after they have surgery and radiation.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 41 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | Toripalimab, immunotherapy |
| Locations | 2 sites (Guangzhou, Guangdong and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 22, 2021 |
| Main results expected | December 1, 2024 |
| Study ends | May 1, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | April 14, 2023 |
| Trial ID | NCT04992559 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults aged 18 to 70 who have undergone recent postoperative chemoradiotherapy for HNSCC and have adverse prognostic factors.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with early-stage head and neck cancer or those who have not received prior chemoradiotherapy may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This phase II clinical trial investigates the effectiveness and safety of Toripalimab as a consolidation therapy for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) who have recently undergone postoperative chemoradiotherapy. The study is open-label and single-arm, meaning all participants will receive the same treatment without a control group. The goal is to evaluate how well this immunotherapy works in improving patient outcomes after initial treatment. Participants must have measurable disease and meet specific health criteria to be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could improve survival rates and quality of life for patients with advanced head and neck cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have shown promising results with immunotherapy in similar contexts, suggesting potential for success in this approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
* Postoperative with adverse prognostic factors in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
* Have received postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (chemo) therapy, and the end of the treatment is not more than 2 months.
* Greater than or equal to 18 and less than 70 years of age at time of study entry.
* ECOG performance status of 0 or 1.
* Measurable disease as per RECIST 1.1.
* Screening labs must meet the following criteria and must be obtained within 14 days prior to registration:
1. Adequate hepatic and renal function as demonstrated by
1. Serum creatinine \< 1.5 X ULN or CrCl \> 40mL/min (if using the Cockcroft-Gault formula below):
* Males: Creatinine CL (mL/min) = (Weight (kg) x (140 - Age))/(72 x serum creatinine (mg/dL))
* Females: Creatinine CL (mL/min) = (Weight (kg) x (140 - Age))/(72 x serum creatinine (mg/dL))x 0.85
2. AST/ALT ≤ 3 x ULN
3. Total Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN (except subjects with Gilbert Syndrome, who can have total bilirubin \< 3.0 mg/dL)
2. Adequate bone marrow function as demonstrated by:
1. Absolute Neutrophil Count \>1,500/µL
2. Platelets \> 100 X 103/µL
3. Hemoglobin \> 9.0 g/dL
* Women of reproductive potential should have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test (minimum sensitivity 25 IU/L or equivalent units of human chorionic gonadotropin \[HCG\]) within 7 days of study enrollment.
* Women of reproductive potential must use highly effective contraception methods to avoid pregnancy for 3 months after the last dose of study drugs; "women of reproductive potential" is defined as any female who has experienced menarche and who has not undergone surgical sterilization (hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy) or who is not postmenopausal; menopause is defined clinically as 12 months of amenorrhea in a woman over 45 in the absence of other biological or physiological causes; in addition, women under the age of 55 must have a documented serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level less than 40 mIU/mL.
* Men of reproductive potential who are sexually active with women of reproductive potential must use any contraceptive method with a failure rate of less than 1% per year; men who are receiving the study medications will be instructed to adhere to contraception for 3 months after the last dose of study drugs; men who are azoospermic do not require contraception.
* Ability to understand and willingness to sign an IRB approved written informed consent document (or that of legally authorized representative, if applicable).
* Subject is willing and able to comply with the protocol for the duration of the study including undergoing treatment and scheduled visits and examinations including follow up.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Is currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent within 4 weeks of the first dose of treatment or has not recovered (i.e., ≤ Grade 1 or at baseline) from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier.
* Has had another known invasive malignancy within the previous 5 years (With the exception of basal cell carcinoma of the skin, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, and papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, which has been cured).
* If subject received major surgery for any other reason, they must have recovered adequately from the toxicity and/or complications from the intervention prior to starting therapy.
* Active, known or suspected autoimmune disease.
* Has evidence of interstitial lung disease or active, non-infectious pneumonitis.
* Has an active infection requiring systemic therapy.
* Has received prior therapy with an anti-PD-1 antibody .
* A history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to the treatment or other agents used in the study.
* Has known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with cooperation with the requirements of the trial.
* Is pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children within the projected duration of the trial, starting with the pre-screening or screening visit through 23 weeks after the last dose of trial treatment.
* Has a known history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection (HIV 1/2 antibodies).
* Has known active Hepatitis B or C.
* Known history of active TB ( bacillus tuberculosis ).
Where it's running
-
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Recruiting -
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Song Fan, Doctor degrees
- Email: fansong2@mail.sysu.edu.cn
- Phone: 13570536658
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
TMV vaccine alone or with toripalimab for recurrent head and neck cancer
This study tests a personalized TMV vaccine, alone and with toripalimab, in adults whose head and neck cancer has returned and is planning salvage surgery.
-
Toripalimab Plus Cetuximab and Irinotecan for second-line right-sided colon cancer
This phase II study tests whether a combo of toripalimab, cetuximab, and irinotecan helps adults with second-line, right‑sided, RAS/BRAF wild-type advanced colon cancer.
-
Propranolol with Toripalimab and Platinum Chemo before/around surgery in NSCLC
This study tests whether adding propranolol to toripalimab and platinum-based chemotherapy is safe and tolerable for people with resectable non-small cell lung cancer before surgery.
-
Neoadjuvant Cryo-Thermal Ablation with Toripalimab and Chemo for Resectable NSCLC
This study tests whether using Cryo-Thermal Ablation before chemo-immunotherapy helps people with resectable NSCLC see better outcomes.
-
Rimegepant plus toripalimab in advanced urothelial cancer after standard therapy
This small, early-stage study tests whether combining rimegepant with toripalimab is safe and shows signs of activity in adults with advanced urothelial cancer that did not respond to prior treatment.
-
SABR with Axitinib and Toripalimab for oligometastatic kidney cancer
This phase 2 trial tests whether giving SABR radiation together with axitinib and toripalimab can shrink tumors and help patients with up to five metastatic sites from clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.