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Updated June 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2INTERVENTIONAL

A Clinical Trial Comparing Low-Dose RT + Targeted Therapy+ Immunotherapy vs Targeted Therapy+ Immunotherapy Alone as Neoadjuvant Therapy in Operable HNSCC Patients.

A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Low-Dose Radiotherapy Combined With Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy Versus Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy Alone as Neoadjuvant Therapy in Patients With Operable Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

A Clinical Trial Comparing Low-Dose RT + Targeted Therapy+ Immunotherapy vs Targeted Therapy+ Immunotherapy Alone as Neoadjuvant Therapy in Operable HNSCC Patients. (NCT07040956) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Low-dose Radiotherapy, sponsored by West China Hospital. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant low-dose radiotherapy combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy versus targeted therapy and immunotherapy alone in patients with resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 98 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: 1. Age 18 years or above. 2. Patients with pathologically confirmed HNSCC (except for nasopharyngeal carcinoma) and meet the following condition: ①Were newly diagnosed and without distant metastasis; were deemed surgically resectable, evaluated by a head and neck surgeon; ②Were willing to undergo surgery; ③Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1; ④Adequate organ and bone marrow function: Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 × 10\^9/L, blood count (hemoglobin) at least 80 g/L, platelet count at least 80 × 10\^9/L; ALT, AST and ALP \< 2.5× upper limit of normal (ULN), total bilirubin ≤ 2×ULN; albumin≥ 2.8 g/dL;kidney function (creatinine clearance) at least 60 ml/min;INR≤ 1.5, APTT≤ 1.5×ULN. 3. Written willing to sign a consent form. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: 1. History of other malignancies (except for the history of malignant tumors that have been cured and have not recurred within 5 years, such as skin basal cell carcinoma, skin squamous cell carcinoma, superficial bladder cancer, in situ cervical cancer, and gastrointestinal mucosal cancer, etc.) 2. Have an active autoimmune conditions (where your immune system attacks your own body) requiring systemic treatment or a documented history of clinically severe autoimmune conditions (where your immune system attacks your own body). 3. Any history of allergic disease, or a severe hypersensitivity reaction to drugs, or allergy to the study drug components. 4. Any of prior therapy with: ①anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1/2, anti-CTLA-4 antibody, anti-EGFR antibody or EGFR-TKIs; ②antitumor vaccine; ③any active vaccine against an infectious disease within 4 weeks before the first dose or planned during the study period; ④major surgery or serious trauma within 4 weeks before the first dose; ⑤toxicity from prior antitumor therapy has not recovered to ≤ CTCAE Version 5.0 Grade 1 or the level specified by the inclusion/exclusion criteria. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 18 years or above. 2. Patients with pathologically confirmed HNSCC (except for nasopharyngeal carcinoma) and meet the following condition: ①Were newly diagnosed and without distant metastasis; were deemed surgically resectable, evaluated by a head and neck surgeon; ②Were willing to undergo surgery; ③Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1; ④Adequate organ and bone marrow function: Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 × 10\^9/L, hemoglobin ≥ 80 g/L, platelets ≥ 80 × 10\^9/L; ALT, AST and ALP \< 2.5× upper limit of normal (ULN), total bilirubin ≤ 2×ULN; albumin≥ 2.8 g/dL;Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 ml/min;INR≤ 1.5, APTT≤ 1.5×ULN. 3. Written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of other malignancies (except for the history of malignant tumors that have been cured and have not recurred within 5 years, such as skin basal cell carcinoma, skin squamous cell carcinoma, superficial bladder cancer, in situ cervical cancer, and gastrointestinal mucosal cancer, etc.) 2. Have an active autoimmune disease requiring systemic treatment or a documented history of clinically severe autoimmune disease. 3. Any history of allergic disease, or a severe hypersensitivity reaction to drugs, or allergy to the study drug components. 4. Any of prior therapy with: ①anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1/2, anti-CTLA-4 antibody, anti-EGFR antibody or EGFR-TKIs; ②antitumor vaccine; ③any active vaccine against an infectious disease within 4 weeks before the first dose or planned during the study period; ④major surgery or serious trauma within 4 weeks before the first dose; ⑤toxicity from prior antitumor therapy has not recovered to ≤ CTCAE Version 5.0 Grade 1 or the level specified by the inclusion/exclusion criteria. 5. With serious medical diseases, such as grade II and above cardiac dysfunction (NYHA criteria), ischemic heart disease, supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmia, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, poorly controlled hypertension, echocardiographic ejection fraction \< 50%, etc. 6. With interstitial pneumonitis, non-infectious pneumonitis, active pulmonary tuberculosis, or history of pulmonary tuberculosis infection that were not controlled by treatment. 7. With hyperthyroidism, or organic thyroid disease. 8. With active infection, or unexplained fever during the screening period or 48 hours before the first dose. 9. With active hepatitis B or C, or known history of positive HIV test, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 10. History of a clear neurological or psychiatric disorder. 11. History of drug abuse or alcohol abuse. 12. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a reproductive plan from the screening period to 3 months after the end of the study, or have sex without contraceptive measures, or are unwilling to take appropriate contraceptive measures. 13. Received any investigational drug within 4 weeks prior to the first dose, or concurrently enrolled in another clinical trial. 14. Any other factors that are not suitable for inclusion in this study judged by investigators.

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Tislelizumab

200mg ivgtt q3w

DRUG

Afatinib

Targeted therapy

RADIATION

Low dose radiotherapy

Radiotherapy

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Department of Radiation Oncology
Chengdu, Sichuan, China

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT07040956), the sponsor (West China Hospital), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT07040956 clinical trial studying?

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant low-dose radiotherapy combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy versus targeted therapy and immunotherapy alone in patients with resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT07040956?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT07040956?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT07040956. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT07040956. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-06-07 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.