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Condition (MeSH)

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1,942 trials for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck or a narrower condition beneath it. National Cancer Institute (NCI) has the most among industry and government lead sponsors, with 75.

MeSH D000077195 Neoplasms Neoplasm C04
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Phase 1 Phase 1 442 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 225 Phase 2 Phase 2 640 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 25 Phase 3 Phase 3 151 Phase 4 Phase 4 8 Not applicable Not applicable 218 Observational Observational 233 Phase 1 Phase 1 442 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 225 Phase 2 Phase 2 640 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 25 Phase 3 Phase 3 151 Phase 4 Phase 4 8 Not applicable Not applicable 218 Observational Observational 233

Trials per phase (log scale)

1,942 of the 1,942 trials are tagged with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck itself; the rest are tagged with a narrower condition beneath it.

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When did Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck trials start? (36)

Shown in this order: most recent first, 1990 onwards. 2026 is partial: trials registered with a 2026 start date so far, not a full year. 4 trials are registered to start in 2027 or later, and not listed here.

Trials over time, by phase

  • Phase 1
  • Phase 1/2
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 2/3
  • Phase 3
  • Phase 4
  • Not applicable
  • Observational

Top of scale: 146

1990: 2 trials (Not applicable 1, Phase 3 1) 1992: 4 trials (Phase 3 3, Phase 2 1) 1993: 1 trials (Phase 2/3 1) 1994: 3 trials (Not applicable 1, Phase 3 2) 1995: 5 trials (Phase 3 2, Phase 1 3) 1996: 6 trials (Observational 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 1, Phase 1 1) 1997: 12 trials (Phase 3 3, Phase 2 6, Phase 1/2 3) 1998: 11 trials (Observational 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 6, Phase 1/2 2) 1999: 20 trials (Not applicable 1, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 8, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 4) 2000: 23 trials (Observational 1, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 9, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 6) 2001: 19 trials (Not applicable 1, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 5, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 7) 2002: 12 trials (Phase 3 1, Phase 2 5, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 4) 2003: 23 trials (Observational 2, Not applicable 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 3) 2004: 23 trials (Observational 4, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 9, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 6) 2005: 33 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 15, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 4) 2006: 32 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 17, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 2) 2007: 38 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 4, Phase 3 4, Phase 2 15, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 5) 2008: 46 trials (Observational 6, Not applicable 9, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 5, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 14, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 9) 2009: 36 trials (Observational 6, Not applicable 3, Phase 3 7, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 4) 2010: 42 trials (Observational 10, Not applicable 5, Phase 3 4, Phase 2 12, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 5) 2011: 38 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 6, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 14, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 7) 2012: 39 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 5, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 16, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 5) 2013: 54 trials (Observational 6, Not applicable 10, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 18, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 14) 2014: 45 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 6, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 16, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 13) 2015: 65 trials (Observational 6, Not applicable 3, Phase 3 4, Phase 2 19, Phase 1/2 8, Phase 1 25) 2016: 50 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 2, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 17, Phase 1/2 8, Phase 1 16) 2017: 92 trials (Observational 10, Not applicable 10, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 10, Phase 2 23, Phase 1/2 13, Phase 1 24) 2018: 102 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 16, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 29, Phase 1/2 18, Phase 1 30) 2019: 111 trials (Observational 12, Not applicable 14, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 33, Phase 1/2 18, Phase 1 28) 2020: 116 trials (Observational 18, Not applicable 12, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 5, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 27, Phase 1/2 14, Phase 1 37) 2021: 143 trials (Observational 19, Not applicable 18, Phase 3 5, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 58, Phase 1/2 15, Phase 1 25) 2022: 111 trials (Observational 21, Not applicable 12, Phase 3 1, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 35, Phase 1/2 14, Phase 1 27) 2023: 146 trials (Observational 19, Not applicable 16, Phase 3 7, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 46, Phase 1/2 20, Phase 1 37) 2024: 143 trials (Observational 20, Not applicable 14, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 12, Phase 2/3 5, Phase 2 44, Phase 1/2 15, Phase 1 32) 2025: 128 trials (Observational 16, Not applicable 16, Phase 3 7, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 34, Phase 1/2 22, Phase 1 31)

Trials registered with a start date in each year, 1990 onward, stacked by phase (complete years only; the current partial year is in the table's notes). The table below lists the same counts, most recent years first.

Trials started per year
Year Trials started
2026 (partial year) 153
2025 128
2024 143
2023 146
2022 111
2021 143
2020 116
2019 111
2018 102
2017 92

Forecast of the full-year count, planned starts included, not rows of this table: about 170 trials starting in 2026 and about 150 in 2027, the average of the 24 months through September, counted as registered and carried forward. The rows of this table count trials registered so far with a start date in the year, planned starts included; the forecast looks ahead to the count for the whole year, so it is not the same measure. In backtests on conditions of this size, forecasts made part-way through the year were typically off by about 13 percent and ran about 12 percent low against the count later registered; forecasts made before the year began were off by about 19 percent and ran about 17 percent low against the count later registered, and had about the same error as repeating last year's count. These figures rest on a few years of history (target years from 2018 to 2025, varying by figure), place each condition as it is mapped today rather than as it was then, and score against a count for the newest year that was still being revised. Only condition series were scored.

Prediction, not a registry value: median of 36 months from start to primary completion across 362 trials still running at the 2026-10-09 snapshot; registered median of 39 months across 1,047 trials with a primary completion typed Actual. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov / AACT (CTTI), public domain.

What phase are Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck trials in? (8)

Shown in this order: phase order.

Show the trials by phase as a table
Trials by phase
Phase Trials
Phase 1 442
Phase 1/2 225
Phase 2 640
Phase 2/3 25
Phase 3 151
Phase 4 8
Not applicable 218
Observational 233

How many Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck trials are recruiting? (9)

Shown in this order: the order a trial moves through, from not yet recruiting to unknown.

Trials by recruitment status
Status Trials
Not yet recruiting 117
Recruiting 370
Enrolling by invitation 7
Active, not recruiting 180
Completed 736

Status as registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Each trial is counted once.

Which lead sponsors run the most Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck trials? (3)

Shown in this order: most trials first. Lead sponsors the registry classes as industry, NIH, US federal, other government or network. A hospital or university the registry files as government can appear here. Sponsors it classes as academic or other are shown on the full page, because that class cannot separate an institution from a named investigator.

Lead sponsors
Sponsor Trials
National Cancer Institute (NCI) 75
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 23
Pfizer 16

Which drugs are being tested for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck? (6)

Shown in this order: most trials first. One row per drug, matched to a single molecule under all its names, ranked by number of trials.

Drugs tested
Drug Trials
PEMBROLIZUMAB 209
CETUXIMAB 151
(nab)-paclitaxel 86
NIVOLUMAB 73
DURVALUMAB 29

Interventions as named in the registry (9)

Shown in this order: most trials first.

Interventions as named in the registry
Drug Trials
Cisplatin 1 243
or carboplatin 111
Radiation Therapy 103
Docetetaxel 99
Fluorouracile 78

These are the names sponsors entered on ClinicalTrials.gov that we have not matched to a single molecule. Some are drugs under a brand or code name; others are procedures, doses or arm labels.

Which serious adverse events do Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck trials report? (10)

Shown in this order: most subjects affected first. Subjects affected summed across trials, a cross-trial signal, not a rate.

Serious adverse events in this condition's trials
Adverse event Subjects affected Trials
Dysphagia 883 114
Dehydration 863 128
Pneumonia 859 100
Nausea 731 113
Malignant neoplasm progression 447 17

Which publications cover Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck? (526)

Shown in this order: major-topic papers first, then newest, then most linked to trials.

Not on this page

Not measured: delivery record.

Checked, with nothing recorded for this condition: prevalence, rare-disease identity, and sub-conditions in mesh.

Browse all condition evidence pages