Clinical Research Directory

Induction Chemotherapy Response-Guided Reduced-Dose Radiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

To evaluate whether the 2-year local failure-free survival (LRFFS) in Cohort 1 patients with AJCC/UICC 8th edition stage IB-II nasopharyngeal carcinoma who achieved EBV-DNA = 0 after induction chemotherapy and had MRI assessment of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) ≥50% is non-inferior when treated with reduced-dose IMRT (59.4 Gy/27 fractions) compared to standard-dose IMRT (66.0 Gy/30 fractions).

Precise Guidance of Adaptive Radiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

This is an observational cohort study designed to (1) evaluate whether Gallium-68 (68Ga)-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor ligand LM3 (68Ga-FAPI-LM3) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) improves the accuracy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) staging, and (2) determine whether Gallium-68-labeled programmed death-ligand 1 (68Ga-PD-L1) PET/CT imaging parameters can provide early prediction of response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy. The study will assess the sensitivity and specificity of each tracer for staging and for predicting therapeutic response, analyze changes in tumor uptake parameters on 68Ga-FAPI-LM3 and 68Ga-PD-L1 PET/CT before and after treatment, and compare treatment efficacy and survival outcomes between patients with different degrees of residual PET uptake and between those who did and did not receive neoadjuvant immunotherapy. The primary question it aims to answer is: Does 68Ga-FAPI-LM3 PET/CT improve the accuracy of NPC staging, and can 68Ga-PD-L1 PET/CT imaging parameters provide an early prediction of response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy? Participants will be patients with biopsy-proven nasopharyngeal carcinoma who undergo 68Ga-FAPI-LM3 and/or 68Ga-PD-L1 PET/CT as part of clinical care or a research protocol. Tumor uptake metrics (e.g., maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), metabolic/volumetric indices) will be measured pre- and post-treatment; diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity) and associations between uptake changes and clinical outcomes (response rates, progression-free and overall survival) will be calculated.

A Study of Anti-PD-1 Antibody With or Without BL-B01D1 as Maintenance Therapy Following Anti-PD-1 Antibody Plus Chemotherapy for the First-line Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (PANKU-NPC02)

This trial is a registrational Phase III, randomized, open-label, multicenter study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PD-1 monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy, followed by maintenance therapy with PD-1 monoclonal antibody with or without BL-B01D1, as first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Impacted Tooth Management and Osteoradionecrosis Risk in NPC

This multicenter, randomized controlled trial is designed to determine whether omitting prophylactic extraction of impacted teeth before radiotherapy leads to an unacceptably higher risk of jaw osteoradionecrosis (JORN) compared with conventional prophylactic extraction in patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). JORN is a condition in which jawbone tissue is damaged and fails to heal properly after radiotherapy. A total of 536 eligible participants with at least one impacted tooth will be randomly assigned to either omit prophylactic extraction of impacted teeth before radiotherapy or undergo conventional prophylactic extraction before radiotherapy. All participants will receive standard curative-intent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), with chemotherapy administered when indicated according to the study protocol. Participants will be followed for up to 5 years. The primary outcome is the incidence of JORN within 2 years after completion of radiotherapy. Secondary outcomes include longer-term incidence of JORN, overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, quality of life, and treatment-related toxicities.

Toripalimab vs. Placebo Wtih GP Induction Chemotherapy in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does the combination of GP induction chemotherapy and toripalimab improve the 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) compared to GP induction chemotherapy with placebo? 2. What are the differences in CR after induction therapy, 3-year overall survival (OS), locoregional progression, and distant progression between the two groups? 3. What are the differences in safety between the two groups? 4. Are there predictive biomarkers of therapeutic efficacy, such as changes in EBV DNA or immune parameters, that correlate with treatment outcomes? Researchers will compare the GP + toripalimab group with the GP + placebo group to see if the toripalimab combination shows superior efficacy. Participants will: Receive either GP chemotherapy with toripalimab or GP chemotherapy with placebo as induction therapy. Undergo concurrent chemoradiotherapy ± adjuvant metronomic capecitabine following induction therapy. Be monitored closely for safety and efficacy outcomes.

Radscopal Radiotherapy Plus Immunotherapy for Chemotherapy-Ineligible Patients With Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Cancer: A Single-Center, Open-Label, Phase II Study

The RADIANCE trial plans to enroll patients with chemotherapy-ineligible de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (AJCC 9th edition, TxNxM1). Participants will receive Radscopal radiotherapy, consisting of low-dose radiotherapy to the primary lesions and stereotactic body radiotherapy to distant metastatic lesions, in combination with sintilimab and ipilimumab. The study will evaluate the objective response rate of the primary lesions, systemic disease control as measured by progression-free survival and overall survival, and the safety and tolerability of this treatment regimen. The main questions this study aims to answer are: Does this treatment improve efficacy with acceptable safety in chemotherapy-ineligible patients? Does Radscopal radiotherapy enhance systemic antitumor immunity, and what is the Radscopal Response Rate? What clinical and immunological factors are associated with the Radscopal effect, and what mechanisms may underlie this effect?

Biomarker Analysis Data From a Randomized Phase II Study in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated With Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

Clinicopathological and genomic data (Next generation sequencing and IHC/CISH) in available tissues were performed in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who participated in a previously conducted randomized phase II study that evaulated induction chemotherapy followed by CCRT with CCRT alone.

Ivonescimab Combined With Chemoradiotherapy in High-Risk Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

This trial aims to study the role of Ivonescimab combined with chemoradiotherapy in high-Risk locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Efficacy and Safety of TPC Induction Chemotherapy Combined With Nimotuzumab and Toripalimab "Immune Sandwich" Regimen Versus Full-Course Immunotherapy for Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Immunotherapy combined with chemoradiotherapy has become standard care for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, yet radiotherapy-induced lymphopenia may impair the efficacy of concurrent PD-1 blockade. Existing evidence supports synergistic anti-tumor activity between the anti-EGFR antibody nimotuzumab and toripalimab. This multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority Phase III trial randomizes eligible stage III-IVA LA-NPC patients 1:1 to two arms. The experimental group receives an "immune sandwich" regimen: TPC induction plus nimotuzumab and toripalimab, concurrent radiotherapy with weekly nimotuzumab only, followed by toripalimab maintenance. The control arm adopts full-course toripalimab throughout induction, concurrent radiotherapy and adjuvant phases. The primary endpoint is 3-year event-free survival, with secondary endpoints covering overall survival, local/distant control rates, objective response rate and treatment-related toxicities. A total of 566 subjects will be enrolled to verify whether the simplified sandwich strategy delivers non-inferior survival with better safety profiles.

A Multicenter, Prospective, Phase III Clinical Study of Proton Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy Versus Photon Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy for Untreated Non-metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Proton therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma can reduce radiotherapy-related toxic reactions, and some retrospective studies have found that proton therapy improves the survival of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, high-level prospective clinical evidence is still lacking. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and side effects of proton therapy compared with photon intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma through a multicenter, prospective, phase III clinical trial, providing more high-quality evidence-based medical evidence for proton therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Evaluating the Optimal Timing of Acupuncture for Managing Chemoradiation-induced Xerostomia in Patients With Head and Neck Cancers

While existing data supports the use of acupuncture to reduce radiation-induced xerostomia, the optimal timing of acupuncture for managing chemoradiation-induced xerostomia remains an area of active investigation. Prior studies have administered acupuncture either in patients who developed xerostomia 12 months after radiation 10 or during the radiation therapy itself 9. The hypothesis is that acupuncture may be more effective in preventing and reducing xerostomia when administered early during CRT, rather than after chronic xerostomia has already set in. Yet, oncologists have concerns about the potentially higher risk of complications, such as infection, associated with acupuncture, especially if administered concurrently with chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, this study aims to conduct this randomised trial to evaluate the impact of early versus delayed acupuncture on patient-reported and objective measures of xerostomia, as well as the safety and tolerability of acupuncture in this setting. To our knowledge, this will be the first randomised clinical trial evaluating the optimal timing for incorporating acupuncture to reduce xerostomia in patients undergoing chemoradiation for head and neck cancers. It is also the first study conducted in Singapore to study the role of acupuncture in reducing CRT-induced xerostomia.

Becotatug Vedotin as Adjuvant Therapy For High-risk Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

This is a phase 2, multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled trial with a parallel-group design. The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of single-agent Becotatug Vedotin as adjuvant therapy in patients with high-risk locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

RAIRI Model-Guided Adjuvant Therapy in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

This study aims to evaluate a personalized approach for treating patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Currently, many high-risk patients receive additional treatment (adjuvant therapy) after standard chemoradiotherapy to prevent the cancer from returning. However, some patients may not actually need this extra treatment and could safely avoid its side effects. This trial uses a novel risk prediction model called the Response-Adapted Individualized Risk Index (RAIRI). The RAIRI model evaluates how a patient's tumor and blood markers (such as Epstein-Barr Virus DNA) respond during and immediately after their initial chemoradiotherapy. In this study, patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1. Standard Treatment Group: All patients will receive standard adjuvant therapy (either a PD-1 inhibitor or capecitabine) after completing their initial chemoradiotherapy. 2. RAIRI-Guided Group (Experimental): Patients will be evaluated using the RAIRI model after initial chemoradiotherapy. Only those identified as "high-risk" by the model will receive adjuvant therapy. Those identified as "low-risk" will be exempted from adjuvant therapy and will undergo regular observation. The main goal of this study is to determine if using the RAIRI model to exempt low-risk patients from adjuvant therapy is as safe and effective as giving adjuvant therapy to everyone, measured by how long patients live without the disease returning or progressing.

Real-World RAIRI-Guided Risk Stratification for Adjuvant Therapy Benefit After Chemoradiotherapy in NPC

This prospective, multicenter, real-world observational study aims to evaluate whether a response-adapted individualized risk index, the RAIRI model, can identify patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma who may or may not benefit from adjuvant therapy after standard chemoradiotherapy. Patients will receive standard treatment according to routine clinical practice. After completion of chemoradiotherapy and assessment at approximately 1 month after radiotherapy, longitudinal multimodal response data, including plasma cfEBV DNA dynamics and MRI-based tumor response, will be incorporated into the RAIRI model to estimate the predicted 5-year progression-free survival. Patients will be stratified into a RAIRI low-risk group, defined as predicted 5-year PFS ≥85%, and a RAIRI high-risk group, defined as predicted 5-year PFS \<85%. Within each RAIRI risk stratum, outcomes will be compared between patients who receive adjuvant systemic therapy, mainly PD-1 inhibitor-based adjuvant immunotherapy, and those who undergo routine surveillance without adjuvant systemic therapy. The primary endpoint is 3-year failure-free survival. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, complete response rate after chemoradiotherapy, distribution of RAIRI risk groups, adverse events, late toxicities, and longitudinal health-related quality of life.

Taurine for the Prevention and Treatment of Radiation-induced Oral Mucositis in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

This clinical trial aims to understand whether taurine can prevent and reduce severe radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy.

Pseudomembrane Removal for Post-RT Nasopharyngeal Necrosis

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic nasopharyngeal pseudomembrane removal in reducing radiation-induced nasopharyngeal necrosis in patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma who have received re-irradiation. This is a prospective, single-arm, multicenter interventional study. Participants with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma who develop pseudomembrane reaction during or after re-irradiation will receive endoscopic pseudomembrane removal. Based on published literature, the 2-year incidence of radiation-induced nasopharyngeal necrosis after re-irradiation is approximately 40%. This study expects to reduce the incidence to 20%. The primary outcome measure is the 2-year incidence of nasopharyngeal necrosis after re-irradiation. Secondary outcome measures include: necrosis-free survival, overall survival, progression-free survival, local regional recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, as well as safety and adverse events. A total of 40 participants will be enrolled from multiple hospitals in China.

Integrating Allogeneic NK Cells in High-risk Advanced Stage III-IV Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients

This clinical trial aims to determine whether Natural Killer (NK) cell therapy administered in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) can reduce recurrence in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), and to identify the highest safe and tolerable dose of allogeneic NK cells. Allogeneic NK cells, derived from healthy donors, have demonstrated good tolerability in cancer patients. The primary research questions are: 1. What is the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of allogeneic NK cells when administered with CRT in NPC patients? 2. Can the addition of allogeneic NK cells to standard CRT reduce the proportion of NPC patients with detectable plasma EBV-DNA from 30% to 10%? Phase 1: Participants will receive one of five escalating doses of allogeneic NK cells with CRT to determine the MTD. Phase 2: Participants will receive the established MTD NK dose together with CRT. Participants will undergo regular safety monitoring, side-effect assessment, measurement of plasma EBV-DNA levels, and surveillance for disease recurrence.

Becotatug Vedotin Plus Sintilimab in Locoregionally Advanced NPC

This study is a multicenter, randomized, controlled phase III clinical trial aiming to investigate the efficacy and safety of Becotatug Vedotin induction therapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) combined with neoadjuvant and adjuvant sintilimab, versus gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) induction chemotherapy followed by CCRT, in the treatment of high-risk locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). The study plans to enroll 266 patients with high-risk NPC (AJCC 9th edition, anyT N2-3M0 or T4N1M0), who will be randomly assigned to the experimental group or the control group at a 1:1 ratio.The primary endpoint is 3-year event-free survival (EFS), and the secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), local-regional failure-free survival (LRFFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), objective response rate (ORR), adverse events, and quality of life.

Sapylin Versus Dexamethasone Inhalation for CCRT-Induced Oral Mucositis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Radiation therapy is the main treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and standard care for advanced NPC often includes combination chemotherapy and radiation (CCRT). However, many patients experience serious side effects, such as painful mouth sores (Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis, RTOM). These side effects can be so severe that they lower a patient's ability to adhere to treatment, potentially making the CCRT less effective. Studies have shown that a significant number of patients stop treatment early due to this toxicity. Current clinical guidelines from organizations like MASCC/ISOO and ESMO agree that preventing RTOM is crucial, but there is currently no specific drug that works for everyone. This study aims to investigate a new approach: using Sapylin, a biological immune regulator, delivered through an atomized inhaler. Preliminary research suggests Sapylin delivered this way may enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and boost the body's immunity. The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Sapylin inhalation on the incidence and severity of RTOM, and to evaluate its safety and impact on the overall success of CCRT. By participating, you will help researchers find a high-efficiency, low-toxicity method to improve CCRT outcomes and manage RTOM for future NPC patients and specialists.

Scipibaimab Combined With Tislelizumab in Patients With First-Line Treatment-Failed Recurrent/Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

This study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of scipibaimab combined with tislelizumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma who have progressed after first-line therapy.

Iparomlimab and Tuvonralimab Combined With Nimotuzumab in Recurrent or Metastatic NPC After First-line Treatment Failure: A Single-arm Phase IIa Clinical Trial

This study aims to preliminarily explore the efficacy and safety of Iparomlimab and Tuvonralimab in combination with Nimotuzumab for the treatment of recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). It is expected to investigate a novel therapeutic regimen with improved efficacy and enhanced safety for recurrent/metastatic NPC, thereby providing robust evidence-based medical support for the application of dual-target immune checkpoint inhibitors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma therapy

Proton vs Photon IMRT in Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Phase III Trial

This multicenter, open-label, randomized Phase III trial evaluates intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) versus intensity-modulated photon radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with newly diagnosed, high-risk, locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. All patients receive induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy and are randomized 1:1 to IMPT or IMRT during the concurrent treatment phase. The primary endpoints are the incidence of grade ≥3 acute treatment-related toxicities and the 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, objective response rate, late toxicities, and quality of life.

Reduced-dose Versus Conventional-dose Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma With Remission After Induction Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy

To explore the efficacy and safety of reduced-dose radiotherapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy and immunotherapy in stage Ⅳa (AJCC 8th,) locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who are sensitive to induction chemoimmunotherapy (assessed as complete response \[CR\]/partial response \[PR\] by imaging, with EBV DNA copy number reduced to zero or below the lower limit of detection), so as to provide a new treatment option for these patients.

Individualized Neck Cervical Irradiation Prophylaxis Trial of NPC

Based on the pattern of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cervical lymph node metastasis, which typically follows a sequential downward spread with rare skip metastases and a tendency for ipsilateral neck involvement, and in accordance with the latest international guidelines, we propose the following scientific hypothesis: individualized neck prophylactic irradiation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on the superior-to-inferior extent of metastatic lymph nodes is feasible. Specifically: if there is no lymph node metastasis, irradiation need only extend to the lower border of Level II; if there are suspected metastatic lymph nodes, a prophylactic dose of 55-60 Gy should be administered; the investigational arm will only require irradiation extending to 3 cm below the lowest level of metastatic (including suspected) lymph nodes in each neck.This study will prospectively enroll patients with N0-N3 stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma and randomize them to compare individualized neck irradiation based on the vertebral body level of metastatic lymph nodes versus selective upper neck prophylactic irradiation. The primary endpoint is neck recurrence-free survival. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, local recurrence-free survival and other survival data, incidence of acute and late neck radiation-induced injuries, and quality of life, aiming to validate the feasibility of individualized neck irradiation based on metastatic patterns.Photon IMRT and photon plus carbon-ion radiotherapy will serve as stratification factors, enabling further comparison of local control and toxicity between photon-carbon-ion therapy and photon-only (or proton) therapy. This study seeks to protect critical structures such as the thyroid, trachea, esophagus, and neck muscles while maintaining therapeutic efficacy, ultimately improving the quality of life for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.