Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Local Cryotherapy Treatment of Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer in Irradiated Areas: a Pilot Study
This is not medical advice. AI-assisted translation — inaccuracies may occur. Always verify the original and consult your oncologist before taking any steps.
About the trial
In France, squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN) are the 5th most common cancer. 60% of patients present with locally advanced tumors (stage III/IV), characterized by a poor prognosis (5-year survival not exceeding 60%). The standard treatment consists of either surgical removal followed by adjuvant radiochemotherapy or exclusive radiochemotherapy. In case of locoregional recurrence (about 40% of patients), salvage surgery can be proposed, allowing prolonged survival for less than one third of eligible patients. However, more than half of locoregional recurrences are unresectable. The standard treatment then consists of immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy for palliative purposes with a median survival of no more than 15 months. Stereotactic radiotherapy is another potentially curative option that allows a local control of 30-60% at 1 year, but at the cost of significant toxicity (up to 50% of grade 3-4 toxicities), thus limiting its indication. The issue of salvage treatment also applies to other rarer histological forms, including naso-sinus and salivary gland tumors, for which the probability of overall survival at 5 years does not exceed 65% due to locoregional evolution, despite advances in surgical techniques and the addition of radiotherapy. During the last two decades, minimally invasive interventional radiology techniques have been developed in the field of oncology. Among these techniques, cryotherapy is now commonly used for the treatment of several cancers. The multiplication of its indications is based on numerous clinical advantages (good post-operative analgesia, good toxicity profile, good tumor control). Cryotherapy could thus be a therapeutic alternative in head and neck cancers in recurrence situation in irradiated and unresectable territory, allowing to maintain a curative project in a higher proportion of patients and also to have a more favorable toxicity profile than re-irradiation.
Original English text from ClinicalTrials.gov
Who can (and can't) join
✓ Qualifies
- •Złośliwy nowotwór głowy lub szyi, który się nawrócił w miejscu już wcześniej napromieniowanym
- •Nowotwór niemożliwy do usunięcia operacyjnie
- •Wiek powyżej 18 lat
- •Ogólny stan zdrowia pozwalający na uczestnictwo w badaniu (wskaźnik WHO ≤ 2)
- •Oczekiwana długość życia co najmniej 12 tygodni
- •Prawidłowa funkcja nerek (klirens kreatyniny ≥ 30 mL/min)
- •Brak zaburzeń krzepnięcia krwi
- •Zgoda na uczestnictwo w badaniu i podpisana umowa
✗ Disqualifies
- •Zaawansowany nowotwór z przerzutami do odległych narządów lub wiele guzów
- •Czerniak, mięsak lub chłoniak
- •Chemioterapia lub radioterapia w ostatnich 4 tygodniach
- •Inny nowotwór aktywny w ostatnich 2 latach
- •Równoczesne leczenie innymi lekami przeciwnowotworowymi
- •Przeciwwskazania do badania MRI lub znieczulenia
- •Ciąża lub karmienie piersią
- •Uczestnictwo w innym badaniu klinicznym
Simplified criteria — AI translation
Trial details
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Last updated (source)
- August 20, 2026
- Sex
- No restrictions
Therapies / drugs in trial
Locations (1)
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg
Strasbourg, France
Trial contact
Luigi Roberto CAZZATO, MD
Contact information from ClinicalTrials.gov. Contact in English.
Share this trial
Data from ClinicalTrials.gov. AI-assisted translation, last sync: 8/21/2026.
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