Circulating Tumor Cell Counts in Postoperative ENE-Positive Oral Cavity Cancer Patients After Adjuvant CCRT

December 8, 2025 updated by: Chun-Ta Liao, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

A Randomized, Prospective Phase II Clinical Trial - Extended Chemotherapy or Not Based on Circulating Tumor Cell Counts in Postoperative ENE-Positive Oral Cavity Cancer Patients After Completing Adjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

The aim 1 of this trial is the development of the Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) definition of oral cancer minimal residual disease (MRD), and aim 2 is a prospective trial of oral cancer treatment. If this trial is successful, it is expected that it may be able to provide a standard diagnostic tool (MRD in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OCSCC)) and treatment mode (extended adjuvant chemotherapy with low-dose oral chemotherapy). The survival rate of patients will be improved.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The aim 1 of this trial is the development of the CTC definition of oral cancer MRD, and aim 2 is a prospective trial of oral cancer treatment. If this trial is successful, it is expected that it may be able to provide a standard diagnostic tool (MRD in OCSCC) and treatment mode (extended adjuvant chemotherapy with low-dose oral chemotherapy). The survival rate of patients will be improved.

This three-year study is expected to recruit 100 oral cavity cancer patients with extracapsular nodal extension (ENE) or other postoperative risks.10 mL of research blood was drawn four times in total.Each patient must continue to be tracked for ENE or other postoperative risks for one year, and with blood testing every tree month.

For the negative selection of CTCs by the negative selection system. For the positive selection of CTCs by counting Epithelial cell adhesion molecule(EpCAM)-positive and Hoechst-positive cells under a microscope with a hemocytometer.

In brief, CTC could predict a poor prognosis in HNSCC patients. But the role of longitudinal CTC follow-up in ENE+ oral cavity cancer patients remains unclear.

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.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

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.
100

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Taoyuan, Taiwan, 333423
        • Recruiting
        • Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

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

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants with Cancer:

  1. Aged between 18 and 90 years.
  2. Histologically confirmed diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
  3. Completed surgical treatment and identified as having high-risk factors, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
  4. Willing to continue follow-up visits at the hospital after completion of treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Presence of psychiatric disorders.
  2. Deemed unsuitable for participation by the attending physician.
  3. Unwilling to participate in the study.

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

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: control
participants without low-dose oral chemotherapy. Each patient must continue to be tracked for ENE or other postoperative risks for one year, and with blood testing every tree month.
Experimental: experimental
participants with low-dose oral chemotherapy. Each patient must continue to be tracked for ENE or other postoperative risks for one year, and with blood testing every tree month.
Procedure: low-dose oral chemotherapy
recruit 100 oral cavity cancer patients with ENE or other postoperative risks.10 mL of research blood was drawn four times in total.Each patient must continue to be tracked for ENE or other postoperative risks for one year, and with blood testing every tree month.

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
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) testing
Time Frame: baseline
participants will undergo CTCs testing after completing concurrent Chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). If CTC-positive (≥5.0 cells/mL), participants will receive low-dose oral chemotherapy for three months, followed by repeat CTC testing. Persistent positivity will warrant continued treatment up to one year after curative surgery, while negativity will lead to treatment discontinuation.
baseline
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) testing
Time Frame: 3 month
participants will undergo CTCs testing after completing concurrent Chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). If CTC-positive (≥5.0 cells/mL), participants will receive low-dose oral chemotherapy for three months, followed by repeat CTC testing. Persistent positivity will warrant continued treatment up to one year after curative surgery, while negativity will lead to treatment discontinuation.
3 month
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) testing
Time Frame: 6 month
participants will undergo CTCs testing after completing concurrent Chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). If CTC-positive (≥5.0 cells/mL), participants will receive low-dose oral chemotherapy for three months, followed by repeat CTC testing. Persistent positivity will warrant continued treatment up to one year after curative surgery, while negativity will lead to treatment discontinuation.
6 month
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) testing
Time Frame: 9 month
participants will undergo CTCs testing after completing concurrent Chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). If CTC-positive (≥5.0 cells/mL), participants will receive low-dose oral chemotherapy for three months, followed by repeat CTC testing. Persistent positivity will warrant continued treatment up to one year after curative surgery, while negativity will lead to treatment discontinuation.
9 month

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.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

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: ChunTa Liao, PhD, Division of Otolaryngology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

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.
August 1, 2025

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 31, 2026

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 31, 2028

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).
November 21, 2025

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.
December 8, 2025

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.
December 22, 2025

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.
December 22, 2025

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.
December 8, 2025

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.
December 1, 2025

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.
  • 202402125B0

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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.

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