Phase 2 Head and Neck Cancer Trial, Recruiting

Written by an AI model from ClinicalTrials.gov eligibility criteria and checked on a sample basis. Please confirm against the original criteria.

Who might be able to join this trial:

• You have squamous cell carcinoma (a type of cancer) in the head and neck area that has come back or spread, and cannot be cured with local treatments like surgery or radiation.
• Your tumor has tested positive for a protein called PD-L1, with a score greater than 1 (this is determined by a lab test).
• You are over 18 years old.
• You are able to carry out basic daily activities — you may be fully active, have some physical limitations, but are not completely bedridden (confirm with trial site).
• Your cancer can be measured on a scan using standard guidelines.
• Your blood counts, liver function, and kidney function are within acceptable ranges based on blood tests (confirm with trial site for exact values).
• If you are a woman who could become pregnant, you must have a negative pregnancy test before starting the study.
• If you are a woman who could become pregnant, you must be willing to use at least one form of birth control, or avoid sexual activity, during the study and for 60 days after your last dose.
• If you are a man, you must agree to use contraception from your first dose until 60 days after your last dose.
• You are able to understand the study and are willing to sign a consent form.
• If you have had cancer spread to the brain in the past, it must not be currently active or growing, confirmed by a scan taken within the last 30 days.

Who may not be able to join:

• You have already received chemotherapy or other systemic (whole-body) treatment specifically for cancer that has come back or spread, unless it was platinum-based chemotherapy given more than 6 months ago as part of a curative treatment plan.
• You have previously received certain immunotherapy drugs (anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 treatments) for cancer that has come back or spread — though you may still be eligible if you received them as part of an earlier curative treatment, at least one year ago (confirm with trial site).
• Your squamous cell carcinoma originates from the skin or the salivary glands.
• You have an active autoimmune disease (where the immune system attacks your own body) that has needed systemic treatment in the past 3 months, or requires ongoing steroids or immune-suppressing medicines — some exceptions apply (confirm with trial site).
• You have a history of lung inflammation (not caused by infection) that required steroid treatment, or you currently have a lung condition called interstitial lung disease.
• You have had another cancer within the past 2 years that could affect your health outcomes in this trial.
• You have significant nerve damage in your hands or feet (greater than grade 2 peripheral neuropathy) (confirm with trial site).
• You have any other medical condition, treatment, or abnormal test result that the trial doctor feels could interfere with the study or would not be in your best interest.
• You have a known allergy or serious reaction to carboplatin, other platinum-based drugs, pembrolizumab, or paclitaxel.
• Your neutrophil count (a type of white blood cell) is below a certain level on your blood test (confirm with trial site).

Important: Always verify eligibility with the trial site directly before applying.