Studying Immune Response in Lymph Nodes of People With Head and Neck Cancer
Studies immune responses in lymph nodes of adults with head and neck squamous cell cancer.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Immune Response in Cervical Lymph Nodes of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
Key facts
- Where
- Stockholm, SwedenSee the site
Where in Sweden
- Karolinska University HospitalStockholm, SwedenTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Lars Olaf Cardell
- Trial code
- NCT07131566
- Record updated
- 20 August 2025
- Original description
Objective:Read full original descriptionShow less
Immune Response in Cervical Lymph Nodes of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
Objective:
The aim of this study is to characterize the inflammatory response in patients with head and neck cancer. More specifically, the study intend to investigate inflammatory and genetic differences between the primary tumor, the sentinel lymph node, and other regional lymph nodes. The investigator also aim to assess how the immunological and genetic responses differ in lymph nodes with and without metastases.
To enable the detection of metastases in lymph nodes containing very few cancer cells, the investigator are developing a method to identify tumor cells using flow cytometry. Additionally, both tumor tissue and lymph nodes will undergo in vitro testing of checkpoint blockade therapy, a relatively new form of cancer immunotherapy.
Methods:
Biopsies from the primary tumor will be used to assess local inflammation. Fine-needle aspirates and dissected lymph node tissue will be analyzed to study inflammatory and genetic responses, as well as to detect tumor cells within these nodes. Blood samples from patients with head and neck cancer will be analyzed for inflammatory mediators.
Lymph nodes from patients without cancer will be collected during benign neck surgeries. Immunological and genetic parameters from these control lymph nodes will be compared to those from the cancer patients to identify disease-specific patterns.
Inclusion: a diagnosis of primary HNSCC,; tumor excision combined with a sentinel node-assisted elective neck dissection or sentinel node biopsy alone performed at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; willingness to participate in the study.
Exclusion: systematic autoimmune diseases; synchronous or previous second malignancies or hemo-lymphopoietic malignancies; any other acute or chronic condition that could influence the immunological environment in the lymph nodes.