Active clinical trials for "Carcinoma, Squamous Cell"

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a cancer that originates from the cells lining the body and can spread into the lymph glands and beyond. Some patients first present with an SCC which has moved to the lymph glands of the neck. Clinical examination and imaging investigations are performed to try and identify the site where the cancer has originated. However, if no original site can be identified, then the investigators call these 'cancers of an unknown primary' (CUP) of the head and neck. One region where these cancers could have originated from is the oropharynx. There are two areas in the oropharynx were cancers commonly arise. One area is the palatine tonsils, which can be removed for analysis with an operation called tonsillectomy. The other area is the tissue lining the back of the tongue, known as the tongue base. A relatively new surgical technique called 'tongue base mucosectomy' (TBM) allows removal of this tissue to see if the primary cancer is contained within it. This study will then use a histological method called 'step serial sectioning' (SSS) to look in more detail at the tonsils and tongue base, hoping to increase the detection rate of the primary cancer. Centres performing TBM will be asked to participate. Patients will be asked to consent to their tissue being used for SSS after it has undergone conventional histology. Anonymised samples will be sent to a central laboratory in Newcastle for processing. Other anonymised data regarding the patients' diagnosis and care will be collated. Patients will be asked to complete questionnaires regarding pain and swallowing recovery following surgery. A smaller cohort of patients will also be interviewed as part of a qualitative research process to establish their views on CUP and the acceptability of the above treatment.

New tools are needed to 1) diagnose and 2) stage early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in order to improve outcomes of this frequent and lethal cancer. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical technique, which can image human tissue ex vivo and in vivo with a resolution around 30µm and with a depth of 1mm. Full-field optical coherence tomography (FFOCT) is a new modality, which allows to image an ex vivo specimen with a cellular resolution and to perform 3D reconstruction. This device has never been tested on esophageal specimens. Therefore, the aim of this non-interventional research is 1) to determine FFOCT diagnostic criteria for SCC and 2) to figure if FFOCT allows the staging of the depth of invasion in SCC. To achieve these goals, we will image ex vivo 10 specimens of endoscopic resection of SCC (endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and submucosal dissection (ESD)) using an FFOCT device and we will compare the results with histological analysis of these specimens.

Background: Fanconi anemia (FA) is an inherited disorder. People with FA are more likely to get certain cancers, especially squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). These cancers usually appear first in the mouth, esophagus, and genital and anal areas. Early detection of SCCs may help improve survival rates for people with FA. Objective: This natural history study will regularly screen people with FA for SCC. Eligibility: People aged 12 years and older with FA or a prior cancer diagnosis. Children aged 8 to 11 years with FA may also be eligible. Design: Participants will receive a comprehensive screening for cancer or early signs of cancer. Participants will have a physical exam. They will provide blood and saliva samples. Cells will be collected by rubbing a swab on the inside of the cheeks. A skin sample may be removed from the back, buttocks, or inside of the upper arm. Participants will have pictures taken of their mouth. Any mouth sores will be mapped. Cells will be collected from the sores with a small brush. Specialists will examine the participant s ears, nose, throat, teeth, and skin. Adult participants may have a gastrointestinal exam or pelvic exam. Participants may have an endoscopy. A long tube with a camera and a light will be inserted through the mouth and down into the stomach. Participants may have a liver ultrasound. A wand will be pressed against their belly to get pictures of the organs inside the body. Participants will have screenings every year for up to 10 years. Each visit will last up to 3 days. They will have remote follow-up visits every 6 months....

The 5-year survival for Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) across all TNM stage groups is approximately 50%. Patients who are present with stage I & II disease have significantly better survival. When a patient presents to their general practitioner (GP) with symptoms suggestive of HNSCC, they may be referred for urgent specialist input through the suspected cancer referral (SCR) pathway, which include dedicated neck lump clinics. HNSCC is known to shed fragments of DNA, called circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) into the bloodstream. The investigators have developed novel ultra-sensitive (>90% sensitivity) next generation sequencing (NGS) assay for circulating HPV DNA in patients with non-metastatic locally advanced head and neck cancer. The use of ultra-sensitive NGS assay for detection of ctDNA using a simple blood test (liquid biopsy) holds a great promise for cancer screening and early diagnosis and can lead to better survival results and less disease burden. With a quicker turnaround (1-2 weeks), the liquid biopsy can help expedite the patient journey through the cancer pathways reducing the incidence of cancer target breaches. In order to design studies to test this hypothesis the investigators require preliminary data quantifying sensitivity and specificity of the assay in this setting.

Accurate assessment of lymph node status in superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is of great significance for preventing undertreatment and overtreatment. However, the accuracy of the commonly used preoperative imaging methods for evaluating lymph node status is not high, and it is urgent to develop a prediction model that can predict the risk of individual lymph node metastasis to assist in clinical decision-making. In this context, investigators intend to retrospectively collect the clinical and pathological data of 300 patients with superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, construct a lymph node metastasis risk prediction model. In addition, investigators are also preparing to prospectively collect tissue samples from 30 patients with superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to further explore the mechanism of lymph node metastasis.

We will use the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to identify genomic alterations of Taiwanese HPV positive and negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) for novel biomarker development and the study design of potential clinical trials or translational research.

This study aims to assess the expression of SCCA2 in the skin of patients with warts and to detect its correlation with characteristics of warts.

This clinical trial investigates the acceptability of electronic cigarettes (JUUL) for smoking cessation (quitting smoking) and the reduction of surgery-related complications in patients with newly diagnosed head, neck, or lung cancer. Smoking before surgery is associated with increased risk of complications during and after surgery. Electronic cigarettes are a type of special product that gives small, steady doses of nicotine to help stop cravings and relieve symptoms that occur when a person is trying to quit smoking. Stopping cigarette smoking before surgery may reduce the risk of complications during and after surgery in patients with head, neck, or lung cancer.

Epidermoid Carcinoma of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract (CEVADS) is the 6th most common cancer worldwide. Despite current therapies (radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy), cancers of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract (UAT) have a poor prognosis, with a 10-year survival rate of no more than 20%. For recurrent or metastatic CEVADS, the therapeutic arsenal, based for many years on chemotherapy and anti-EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) agents, has been enriched by a new therapeutic class: PD-1 inhibitors. For CEVADS, PD-1 inhibitors have been approved for second-line treatment of nivolumab for over a year, and are now used in first-line treatment of pembrolizumab. The results of this therapeutic class in CEVADS are not as spectacular as for melanoma or bronchial cancer. Indeed, only 20% of patients have a favorable response, compared with half who experience disease progression. This low proportion of responders can be explained by tumor heterogeneity within CEVADS and poor patient selection. The only marker used to select patients is PD-L1 expression detected by ImmunoHistochemistry (IHC). However, it seems that this marker, described as imperfect, is still little explored in ENT. It needs to be compared with the expression of other cell lines in the tumor microenvironment, which could play an important role in resistance to PD-1 inhibitors. IHC identifies all macrophages using the CD68 marker, while the CD163 marker is specific to M2 macrophages. Other targets in the microenvironment are also being investigated, with the discovery of a Tertiary Lymphocyte Structure (TLS) in melanoma treated with immunotherapy. It therefore seems necessary to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of tumor progression under immunotherapy in order to develop strategies to optimize response to treatment. This would enable better selection of patients likely to benefit from immunotherapy, and open up prospects for therapeutic combinations. The hypothesis is that macrophages, but also other cells and factors in the CEVADS microenvironment, play a decisive role in resistance to PD-1 inhibitors. The aim is therefore to continue these macrophage analyses, extend them to other cells in the microenvironment and link them to other prognostic factors under investigation. A prospective study will analyze tumor tissue during treatment with PD-1 inhibitors, in order to correlate all the factors studied with response or resistance to immunotherapies. In addition, the oral microbiota, in the lineage of the intestinal microbiota, has been shown to be highly stable over time and to play a role in the oncogenesis of certain cancers, notably CEVADS. Like the intestinal microbiota, it could also represent a prognostic factor in the response to immunotherapies. Of all the bacteria in this oral microbiota, one has been shown to play a major role: Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum). However, little is known about the mechanism of action of intratumoral F. nucleatum on the development of CEVADS. In particular, it is thought to play a role in local cancer immunity, via macrophages, regulatory T cells (Tregs) and TLRs. Finally, it appears that specific antimicrobial T-cell responses may cross-react with tumor antigens, hence the importance of also analyzing the metabolome of commensal bacteria.The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution of the presence of this bacterium in saliva, as well as the specific immune response to F. nucleatum in patients with CEVADS during immunotherapy treatment.

This clinical trial evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of acupressure to the ear (auricular) to address appetite and weight in patients with stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, or pancreatic cancer. Cancer anorexia, the abnormal loss of appetite, directly leads to cancer-associated weight loss (cachexia) through malnourishment, reduced caloric intake, treatment side-effects, and other modifiable risk factors. Cachexia prolongs length of hospital stay for patients, negatively impacts treatment tolerance and adherence, and reduces overall patient quality of life. Auricular acupressure is a form of micro-acupuncture that exerts its effect by stimulating the central nervous system using adhesive taped pellets applied to specific locations on the external ear. The use of these pellets to deliver auricular acupressure has been shown to improve pain, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, depression, and quality of life in both cancer and non-cancer settings. Auricular acupressure is a safe, inexpensive, and non-invasive approach to addressing cancer-related symptoms and treatment side-effects and may be effective at improving appetite and weight loss in stage II-IV gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer patients.