MSK is a major research institution. During your treatment for head and neck cancer, your care team may ask if you want to join a clinical trial.

What is a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments, procedures, or devices to see how well they work. They are an important part of helping to prevent, treat, and cure cancer. Almost every cancer treatment given to patients was first tested during a clinical trial.

MSK tests new treatments for head and neck cancer. Treatment trials test new drugs, drug combinations, devices, and ways of doing procedures, surgery, or radiation therapy.

Sometimes a clinical trial gives you access to new therapies that are not yet available at most hospitals. Talk with your doctor about whether joining a clinical trial is right for you. You can also learn more by watching this short video about MSK clinical trials. 

Clinical trials are designed to answer questions about:

• Safety
• Benefits
• Side effects
• Whether some people are helped more than others

MSK will start a clinical trial only if our researchers think we can improve methods for cancer:

• Prevention
• Treatment
• Diagnosis
• Screening

For more information, please read Clinical Trials at MSK: What You Need to Know.

Clinical trials you may be able to join 

Our doctors are running clinical trials testing:

• New drug therapies for head and neck cancer, including immunotherapies and targeted therapies. These can help treatments work better.
• Safer, better methods to head and neck radiation therapy
• Better ways of keeping your quality of life during and after treatment

Talk with our experts about whether a clinical trial is right for you. Here are some new clinical trials you may be able to join:

• A Phase 2 Study of Lenvatinib and Pembrolizumab Immunotherapy in People With Advanced Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and Other Salivary Gland Cancers
• A Phase 1 Study of REM-422 in People With Adenoid Cystic Cancer
• A Phase 2 Study of Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine in People With Salivary Gland Cancer
• A Pilot Study of Presurgical Cemiplimab With Chemotherapy and Cetuximab in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
• A Phase 2 Study of Avutometinib and Defactinib in People With Thyroid Cancer
• A Phase 2 Study of Darolutamide in People With Testosterone-Driven Salivary Gland Cancer
• A Phase 2 Study of Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine Compared to the Usual Treatment for Advanced HER2-Positive Salivary Gland Cancer

You can also search our list of clinical trials that are open to new patients.