Trial results for nivolumab in patients with head and neck cancer were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-05-06. The study, NCT03355560, investigated adjuvant nivolumab after salvage resection and reported a disease-free survival rate of 71.4%. The trial also detailed adverse event rates for the treatment.
Background
The study investigated nivolumab as an adjuvant therapy following salvage resection in patients with head and neck cancer. These patients had previously undergone definitive radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy. The research aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this treatment approach.
Trial design
The study (NCT03355560) was a Phase 2 trial with an enrollment of 39 participants. It investigated nivolumab as an adjuvant treatment after salvage resection in patients with head and neck cancer who had previously received definitive radiation with or without chemotherapy. The trial's purpose was to test the safety and efficacy of nivolumab in this specific patient population.
Key results
The trial reported on disease-free survival and adverse events for nivolumab treatment.
- Disease Free Survival was reported as 71.4% (95% Confidence Interval) of participants.
- Another measure of Disease Free Survival was 71.37% (95% Confidence Interval) of subjects.
- The percentage of patients with Grade 3 and 4 Adverse Events of Nivolumab was 17 participants.
- The percentage of patients with Any Grade Adverse Events during treatment with Nivolumab was 37 participants.
What this means
The results suggest that adjuvant nivolumab after salvage resection in previously treated head and neck cancer patients may offer a notable disease-free survival rate of over 71%. The safety profile indicates that 17 out of 39 participants experienced Grade 3 or 4 adverse events, and 37 out of 39 experienced any grade adverse events during treatment. These findings provide initial insights into the potential role of nivolumab in this challenging clinical setting, warranting further investigation.
Source
The information for these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for study NCT03355560, titled "Adjuvant Nivolumab After Salvage Resection in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Previously Treated With Definitive Therapy," were posted on 2026-05-06 on clinicaltrials.gov.