Multi-Omic Assessment of Squamous Cell Cancers Receiving Systemic Therapy (MASST)

July 10, 2026 updated by: University Health Network, Toronto
This is prospective research study which will include patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, esophagus and anal canal starting on first-line platinum based chemotherapy or any line of immunotherapy treatment.This study aims to characterize the dynamic changes in genomic, epigenetic, immune profiling and imaging data during treatment with systemic therapy. Patients will have archived tumor samples requested as well as blood samples collected at up to four time points to analyze these changes. Imaging data will be derived from patients' routine CT scans before and after treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
39

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
        • Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with a diagnosis of squamous cell cancer of the head & neck, esophagus, or anal canal who have radiologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic disease.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients with a histological or cytological diagnosis of Squamous Cell Cancer of the head and neck, esophagus or anal canal who have radiologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic disease.
  2. Patients must be of adequate fitness, ECOG 0-1 for systemic therapy, with either standard chemotherapy, immunotherapy or within the context of a clinical trial.
  3. Patients must be commencing on a new treatment at time of consent, this can be first line platinum based chemotherapy, or immunotherapy, any line.
  4. Patients must be ≥ 18 years old.
  5. Patients must have provided voluntary written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

None

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
MASST
Patients with a histological or cytological confirmed diagnosis of Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head & Neck, Esophagus or Anal Canal who have radiologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic disease and are commencing on a new treatment or either first-line platinum based chemotherapy or any line immunotherapy.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Characterization of Genomic, epigenetic and Immune Profiling Features
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 4 years
To comprehensively characterize genomic, epigenetic and immune profiling features and changes in longitudinal blood samples that are associated with systemic treatment of recurrent or metastatic squamous cell cancers of the head & neck, esophagus and anal canal.
Through study completion, up to 4 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Establish a Clinically Annotated Biorepository
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 4 years
To establish a clinically annotated biorepository of archived tumor and longitudinal blood samples, with serial radiomic evaluations in patients with recurrent/metastatic squamous cell cancers commencing on any new systemic treatments.
Through study completion, up to 4 years
Correlate Multi-Omic Results with Clinical Outcome
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 4 years
To correlate genomic, othr-omic, radiomic and immune profiling results with clinical outcome - to identify potential predictive markers of response/resistance to systemic therapy.
Through study completion, up to 4 years
Compare HPV-Positive and HPV-Negative Cell Histologies
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 4 years
To compare HPV-positive and HPV-negative squamous cell histology across three disease sites with multi-omic assessment.
Through study completion, up to 4 years
Investigate the Relationship Between Genomic Profiles and Radiomic Signatures
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 4 years
To investigate whether any correlation or relation exists between tumor genomic profiles and radiomic imaging signatures.
Through study completion, up to 4 years
Enable Data-Sharing
Time Frame: Though study completion, up to 4 years
To enable data sharing with Queen's University Belfast as a collaborative initiative based on this project
Though study completion, up to 4 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University Health Network, Toronto

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Elena Elimova, MD, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 6, 2018

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 16, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 16, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 19, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 10, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MASST-001

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings