A Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab Compared to the Usual Treatment of Chemotherapy With Radiation Given After Surgery for Recurrent or Second Primary Head and Neck Cancer

Full Title

A Phase II Randomized Trial of Adjuvant Therapy with Pembrolizumab After Resection of Recurrent/Second Primary Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma with High Risk Features (EA3191) (CIRB)

Purpose

Researchers are comparing pembrolizumab given after surgery for head and neck cancer with the usual treatment. The usual therapy includes chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The people in this study have head and neck cancer that came back or is a new primary cancer.

Pembrolizumab is an immunotherapy drug. It takes the brakes off the immune response so the immune system can find and kill cancer cells. It is given intravenously (by vein).

If you take part in this study, you will be randomly assigned to one of these treatments after surgery:

• Cisplatin or carboplatin (given intravenously) with radiation therapy.
• Pembrolizumab alone.

Contact

For more information or to see if you can join this study, please call Dr. Michael Hwang’s office at 646-608-3793.