Head and neck cancer clinical trials recruiting in Canada

Heavy Strength Training in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

Recruiting nowPhase 21 site

Despite improvements in treatments, head and neck cancer survivors (HNCS) still endure acute and chronic side effects such as loss of muscular strength, limitations in physical functioning, fatigue, and swallowing difficulties that impact q…

Pilot Study to Evaluate Photoacoustic Imaging in Head and Neck Cancer

Recruiting now1 site

In this study, PA imaging will be used to examine the physiological and physical changes in lymph node involvements of head and neck cancer during radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Our objective in this pilot study will be to evalu…

Lipiodal Injection Technique for Free Flap Sparing Adjuvant RT Planning in HNC

Opening soonEarly Phase 11 site

Patients with advanced mouth/throat cancers require surgery to remove the cancer followed by reconstruction with transplanted skin/muscle/bone from another location in their body to restore function. This is called a free-flap (skin/muscle/…

Palliative Steroeotactic Body Radiotherapy vs Palliative Standard Radiotherapy in Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

Recruiting nowPhase 38 sites

This study is being done to answer the following question: Does stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) provide better cancer control compared to standard radiation therapy (RT) for those with advanced head and neck cancer?

HN-QUEST: A Study of Head and Neck Imaging Biomarkers

Recruiting now1 site

This is a multi arm, single center, investigator initiated study to investigate online adaptive radiotherapy and biomarker development in patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC (Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma) receiving curative therapy…

Feasibility of Early Swallowing and Speech Intervention for Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated SURGically

Recruiting now1 site

Oral cavity cancer (OCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with tongue cancer being one of the most common subtypes. Patients with oral cancers can experience painful swallowing, swallowing difficulty (dysphagia), and associated …

Preservation of Swallowing in Respected Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Examining Radiation Volume Effects (PRESERVE): A Randomized Trial

Recruiting nowPhase 28 sites

The goal of this randomized treatment study is to formally compare quality of life in patients with at least one pN0 hemi-neck after resection of a squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity treated with a primary radiation therapy versus a…

Feasibility of Prospective Surveillance and Early Physical Therapy for Trismus

Recruiting now1 site

Trismus, or restricted jaw movement, can occur in individuals with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing surgery or radiation therapy. There is a paucity of research examining interventions for trismus. We aim to assess the feasibility of p…

Survivorship After HNC: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Patient Care and Adherence to Follow-up

Recruiting now1 site

Treatment summary and survivorship care plans (TSSPs) are poorly studied in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) patients, and given the high frequency of unmet needs, this patient population has potentially the most to benefit from the implementatio…

Pretreatment Botulinum Toxin in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery

Opening soonPhase 21 site

Head and neck cancer care, including tumors of the mouth, nose, throat and voice box, often requires radiation for cure to be achieved. Despite advances in radiation, 40% to 60% of patients experience a significant dry mouth (xerostomia) fo…

Ultrasound Spectroscopy as Early Indicators of Radiation Treatment Response in Prostate, Rectum and Head & Neck Cancers

Recruiting now1 site

Our objective in this study is to identify an optimal ultrasound spectroscopy parameter that can be used as an early predictor of pathological complete or partial response in men with prostate cancer and men and women with rectum and head a…

A Study of Dostarlimab vs Placebo After Chemoradiation in Adult Participants With Locally Advanced Unresected Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Recruiting nowPhase 3277 sites

The goal of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of Dostarlimab compared to Placebo in adult participants with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

A Study of Head and Neck MRI and Tumor Microenvironment Biomarkers

Recruiting now1 site

The purpose of this study is to explore biomarker development in patients with newly diagnosed Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) receiving curative therapy.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)PET-CT Pilot Study

Recruiting now1 site

The purpose of this study is to see how useful the information provided from Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans can be in the actual planning and delivery of radiation treatment to patients who have head and neck cancers. Patients par…

Assessing Spinal Accessory Nerve Recovery After Post-operative Electrical Stimulation

Opening soon1 site

Shoulder weakness and pain are common after neck dissection surgery for head and neck cancer. This is often caused by injury to the spinal accessory nerve, which controls important shoulder muscles. Recovery can be slow and incomplete, affe…

Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Oligo-Progressive Disease REfractory to Systemic Therapy in Metastatic Cancer

Recruiting nowPhase 21 site

A registry-based randomized phase II trial. A total of 46 patients with metastatic head and neck cancer on systemic therapy with oligoprogression to 1-5 extracranial lesions will be randomized using a 1:1 ratio to standard of care (begin ne…

Phase II Study of Daily Adaptive Radiotherapy for Submandibular Gland-sparing in Head and Neck Cancer

Recruiting now1 site

This is a randomized, single centre, single blinded prospective study comparing the standard of care imaging guided radiation therapy and daily adaptive radiotherapy (ART) for submandibular gland-sparing in head and neck cancer

Nutritional Supplementation in Head and Neck Cancers

Recruiting nowPhase 21 site

The purpose of this study is to determine whether multimodal nutrition therapy (primary nutrition intervention + adjuvant nutrition therapy) will support patients to optimize their total caloric intake during cancer treatment by measuring t…

Stereotactic Boost and Short-course Radiation Therapy for Oropharynx Cancer

Recruiting nowPhase 32 sites

This is a randomized clinical trial comparing the outcomes of short-course chemoradiation consisting in stereotactic boost to the gross tumor and de-esclalated chemoradiation to the elective neck in human papilloma associated oropharynx can…

HN-BIO 02: A Phase II Randomized Study of the Effects of Delayed Elective Radiotherapy on Head and Neck MRI and Immune Response Biomarkers

Recruiting now1 site

This is a single centre prospective exploratory study of effects of radiation therapy on biomarker development in patients with newly diagnosed (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) HNSCC receiving curative therapy. This research is part …

A Clinical Trial Investigating the Safety, Tolerability, and Therapeutic Effects of BNT113 in Combination With Pembrolizumab Versus Pembrolizumab Alone for Patients With a Form of Head and Neck Cancer Positive for Human Papilloma Virus 16 and Expressing the Protein PD-L1

Recruiting nowPhase 2/3195 sites

An open-label, controlled, multi-site, interventional, 2-arm, Phase II/III trial of BNT113 in combination with pembrolizumab vs pembrolizumab monotherapy as first line treatment in patients with unresectable recurrent or metastatic HPV16+ H…

Low-Dose Weekly vs High-Dose Cisplatin

Recruiting now3 sites

This study is a prospective open-label randomized clinical trial. Following informed consent eligible LASCCHN patients (n=100) planned for CRT will be stratified by tumor p16 status and then randomized in a 1:1 fashion to either concurrent …

Stereotactic Post-operative Radiotherapy for Intraparotid Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Recruiting now1 site

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness and side effects of stereotactic radiotherapy (5 sessions) against conventional (standard) radiotherapy (20-30 sessions) for the treatment of skin cancer involving the head and neck …

EXCEL: Exercise for Cancer to Enhance Living Well

Recruiting now3 sites

Project EXCEL will provide community or online exercise programs to rural and remote and under-served cancer survivors, as well as encourage participants to become life-long exercisers. Exercise is an evidence-based self-management strategy…

A Comprehensive Multiomic Biomarker Evaluation Across Two Single-arm Cohorts to Elucidate Mechanisms of Response and Resistance in Recurrent/Metastatic (R/M) Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

Recruiting nowPhase 21 site

The BeeHive study is an investigator-initiated, single center, open-label phase II clinical trial that is designed to conduct a comprehensive multiomic biomarker evaluation across two single-arm cohorts to elucidate mechanisms of response a…

Radiotherapy vs. Trans-Oral Surgery for HPV-Negative Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Recruiting nowPhase 21 site

The goal of this randomized phase II study is a formal comparison of radiotherapy versus trans-oral surgery as the primary treatment of HPV-negative patients with early-stage oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Proactive Risk-based Optimization & Notifications for Treatment & Outcomes in Head & Neck Cancer

Recruiting now1 site

Delays between surgery and the initiation of post-operative radiotherapy (S-PORT) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients are prevalent and associated with worse oncologic outcomes. This pilot study evaluates whether a proactive, automated c…

Staph Nasal Decolonization to Improve Function and Feeding

Opening soonPhase 21 site

Radiation therapy is a type of treatment that involves using radiation beams targeted at a cancer to destroy the cancer cells or slow their growth. This type of treatment has helped many cancer patients for decades and is intended to kill c…

A Study of Ficlatuzumab in Combination With Cetuximab in Participants With Recurrent or Metastatic (R/M) HPV Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Recruiting nowPhase 3112 sites

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of ficlatuzumab plus cetuximab compared to placebo plus cetuximab in participants with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HPV-negative Head and Neck Cancer. The primary hypothesis is …

Investigating the Effects of Atezolizumab in People Whose Tumour DNA or RNA Indicates Possible Sensitivity

Recruiting nowPhase 22 sites

This study will investigate the effects of atezolizumab on select cancer types in people whose analysis of tumour DNA and RNA indicates they may be sensitive to atezolizumab. This study aims to determine if the information from the cancer g…

Common questions

How do I find a head and neck cancer clinical trial near me in Canada?

Use Beacon's free search: enter "head and neck cancer", your age, and your location, and you'll see recruiting trials sorted by distance, each explained in plain language — including sites just across the US border. Beacon searches the full official registry and never requires an account.

Does joining a clinical trial cost money?

The study treatment and study-related tests are usually provided at no cost, and some trials help with travel. In Canada, your provincial health coverage continues to apply to your routine care — always confirm details with the study team.

Can I leave a clinical trial after joining?

Yes. Participation is always voluntary, and you can leave a trial at any time, for any reason, without losing your normal medical care.

Do I qualify for these trials?

Every trial has its own eligibility criteria. Beacon translates each trial's criteria into a plain-language checklist you can review and bring to your doctor — only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.