Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Clinical Trials

225 recruitingLast updated: June 6, 2026

There are 225 actively recruiting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma clinical trials across 48 countries. Studies span Phase 2, Phase 1, Not Applicable, Phase 3, Early Phase 1, Phase 4. Top locations include Houston, Texas, United States, Los Angeles, California, United States, Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Updated daily from ClinicalTrials.gov.


Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Trials at a Glance

225 actively recruiting trials for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are listed on ClinicalTrialsFinder across 6 cities in 48 countries. The largest study group is Phase 2 with 111 trials, with the heaviest enrollment activity in Houston, Los Angeles, and Nashville. Lead sponsors running head and neck squamous cell carcinoma studies include Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, National Cancer Institute (NCI), and West China Hospital.

Browse head and neck squamous cell carcinoma trials by phase

Treatments under study

About Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Clinical Trials

Looking for clinical trials for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma? There are currently 151 studies actively recruiting participants. Clinical trials offer access to new treatments before they are widely available, and every approved therapy in use today was first tested through a clinical trial.

Below you can browse trials, sign up for alerts when new Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma trials open, and view eligibility criteria for each study. Each listing includes the study phase, locations, and enrollment details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma clinical trials

A clinical trial is a carefully designed research study that tests new medical treatments, drugs, devices, or approaches in human volunteers. Every approved medication and treatment available today was proven safe and effective through clinical trials.

All clinical trials are reviewed and approved by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) — independent committees that evaluate patient safety. Trials follow strict protocols, and your health is monitored closely throughout. You can withdraw at any time.

Not necessarily. Many trials compare the new treatment against the current standard of care, meaning all participants receive active treatment. When placebos are used, they are typically combined with standard treatment, not given alone. The trial description will always specify the design.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most private insurers are required to cover routine patient care costs during a clinical trial. The sponsor typically covers the investigational treatment itself. Medicare also covers routine costs for qualifying trials.

Yes. Participation is completely voluntary. You can withdraw at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your access to standard medical care.

Each trial has specific eligibility criteria — including age, diagnosis, disease stage, prior treatments, and general health. Browse the trials listed above and check their eligibility sections. You can also contact the trial site directly to discuss your situation.

Showing 120 of 225 trials

Recruiting
Phase 2

Testing What Happens When an Immunotherapy Drug (Pembrolizumab) is Given by Itself Compared to the Usual Treatment of Chemotherapy With Radiation After Surgery for Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaRecurrent Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell CarcinomaRecurrent Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma+2 more
National Cancer Institute (NCI)188 enrolled178 locationsNCT04671667
Recruiting
Phase 2

BiCaZO: A Study Combining Two Immunotherapies (Cabozantinib and Nivolumab) to Treat Patients With Advanced Melanoma or Squamous Cell Head and Neck Cancer, an immunoMATCH Pilot Study

Clinical Stage III Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8Clinical Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma+22 more
National Cancer Institute (NCI)150 enrolled222 locationsNCT05136196
Recruiting
Phase 3

Testing the Addition of Anti-Cancer Drug, Cetuximab, to Standard of Care Treatment (Pembrolizumab) for Returning or Spreading Head and Neck Cancer After Previous Treatment

Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaStage IV Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma+18 more
National Cancer Institute (NCI)158 enrolled177 locationsNCT06589804
Recruiting
Phase 2

Study of Cetuximab Plus/Minus Weekly Paclitaxel After Progression To First-Line Pembrolizumab Plus Platinum-5FU in Subjects With Recurrent/Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

Recurrent / Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Grupo Español de Tratamiento de Tumores de Cabeza y Cuello65 enrolled17 locationsNCT06856213
Recruiting
Phase 1

Testing the Addition of an Anti-Cancer Drug, Camonsertib, to Radiation Therapy for Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Unresectable Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaStage III Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8Stage IV Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8+27 more
National Cancer Institute (NCI)39 enrolled1 locationNCT07156227
Recruiting
Phase 3

A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate Petosemtamab Compared With Investigator's Choice Monotherapy in Previously Treated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients (LiGeR-HN2)

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Merus B.V.600 enrolled216 locationsNCT06496178
Recruiting
Not Applicable

A Study of the Use of Fat Flap Reconstruction to Reduce Neck Injury After Cancer Treatment

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center12 enrolled1 locationNCT05889091
Recruiting
Phase 3

A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate Petosemtamab Plus Pembrolizumab vs Pembrolizumab in First-line Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer (LiGeR - HN1)

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Merus B.V.700 enrolled205 locationsNCT06525220
Recruiting
Phase 2Phase 3

FORTIFI-HN01: A Study of Ficerafusp Alfa (BCA101) or Placebo in Combination With Pembrolizumab in First-Line PD-L1-pos, R or M HNSCC

Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaRecurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Bicara Therapeutics650 enrolled173 locationsNCT06788990
Recruiting
Phase 2

Testing Whether Cemiplimab (REGN2810) Plus CDX-1140 Given Prior to Surgery Are Better Than Cemiplimab (REGN2810) Alone in Patients With Stage III-IV Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaRecurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaStage III Laryngeal Cancer AJCC v8+19 more
National Cancer Institute (NCI)44 enrolled6 locationsNCT06980038
Recruiting

Solid Tumor Analysis for HLA Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) and Apheresis for CAR T- Cell Manufacturing

Colorectal, CancerPancreatic CancerHead and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)+14 more
A2 Biotherapeutics Inc.200 enrolled16 locationsNCT04981119
Recruiting
Phase 1

IACS-6274 With or Without Bevacizumab and Paclitaxel for the Treatment of Advanced Solid Tumors

Clinical Stage III Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8Clinical Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8Stage IIIA Uterine Corpus Cancer AJCC v8+35 more
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center54 enrolled1 locationNCT05039801
Recruiting
Phase 1Phase 2

EGFR/HER2 Dual-Target CAR-NK Cells for Recurrent or Metastatic HNSCC

Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaBiomarker-positive EGFR/HER2- Expressing HNSCC
Beijing Biotech42 enrolled1 locationNCT07617805
Recruiting
Phase 1Phase 2

A Phase Ib/II Study of an Anti-HER3 Antibody, HMBD-001, With Cetuximab +/- Docetaxel in Advanced Squamous Cell Cancers

Squamous Cell CarcinomaAdvanced or Metastatic Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung CancerAdvanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma+4 more
Hummingbird Bioscience398 enrolled20 locationsNCT05910827
Recruiting
Phase 1

A Phase 1, Dose-escalation Study of [225Ac]-FPI-2068 in Adult Patients With Advanced Solid Tumours

Gastric CancerAdvanced Solid TumorNon-small Cell Lung Cancer+4 more
AstraZeneca70 enrolled15 locationsNCT06147037
Recruiting
Phase 1Phase 2

Afatinib in Patients With Fanconi Anemia (FA) and Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaFanconi Anemia
Fundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau25 enrolled2 locationsNCT06648096
Recruiting
Phase 1

Study of Zanzalintinib in Combination With Immuno-Oncology Agents in Participants With Solid Tumors

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)Solid Tumor+7 more
Exelixis1,314 enrolled122 locationsNCT05176483
Recruiting
Phase 2

Study of Volrustomig as Monotherapy or in Combination With Anti- Cancer Agents in Participants With Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors

Sub-study 1 Cervical Cancer (Volrustomig Monotherapy)Sub-study 2 Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Volrustomig Monotherapy)Sub-study 3 Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Volrustomig in Combination With Chemotherapy)+2 more
AstraZeneca257 enrolled95 locationsNCT06535607
Recruiting
Phase 1

A Phase 1, First-in-human Study of OKN4395 and Pembrolizumab in Patients With Solid Tumors

SarcomaNon-small Cell Lung CancerHead and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma+9 more
Epkin166 enrolled10 locationsNCT06789172
Recruiting
Phase 1Phase 2

A Phase 1/2 Trial of TER-2013 in Patients With Solid Tumors Harboring AKT/PI3K/PTEN Pathway Alterations

Breast CancerOvarian CancerCervical Cancer+5 more
Terremoto Biosciences Inc.205 enrolled15 locationsNCT07109726