Phase II Trial of Pembrolizumab in Recurrent or Metastatic HNSCC

To be able to join this study, you would need to have head and neck cancer that has been confirmed by a doctor, and it must have either returned or spread. It's also important that your doctors believe your cancer can't be cured with local treatments like surgery or radiation. You need to be at least 18 years old and your general health should be such that you are able to move around and do some daily activities, but you might need some help.

There are also some things that would mean you couldn't join. For example, if your cancer could still be cured with other treatments, or if you've already had a similar medicine called an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-PD-L2 agent. You also can't be pregnant or breastfeeding. The medical team will check your blood tests to make sure your body's organs, like your kidneys and liver, are working well enough.

If you decide to take part in this study, you would receive the study medicine, pembrolizumab, through a drip. This would happen every three weeks for up to two years, as long as the treatment is helping you and you're not having serious side effects. Along with the medicine, you'll also get the best supportive care to help manage any symptoms you might have. You'll have regular visits to the hospital for assessments like blood tests and scans to see how the treatment is working and to check your health. You'll also need to agree to use effective birth control during treatment and for a few months afterwards. The total duration of your treatment and follow-up could be up to 24 months, with ongoing monitoring by the study team.