Local Injection Methylene Blue Combined With Radiation in HNSCC Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the effectiveness of Methylene Blue (MB) as a radiosensitizer in treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) that has recurred locally and is resistant to radiation therapy. It will also assess the safety of Methylene Blue. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does Methylene Blue improve the outcomes for patients with recurrent HNSCC receiving radiation therapy? What side effects do participants experience while receiving Methylene Blue?

Participants will:

Receive weekly injections of Methylene Blue or placebo into the tumor over six weeks.

Undergo six weeks of concurrent radiation therapy. Be monitored regularly for treatment effects and document any side effects experienced during the trial.

This single-center clinical trial intends to recruit 10 eligible patients diagnosed with locoregional recurrence of HNSCC that is resistant to previous radiotherapy.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Head and Neck Cancer Head and Neck Neoplasms Local Recurrent Tumor Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site

Age range

20 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Early Phase 1

Primary location

China medical university hospital

Taichung, Taiwan, 404

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

. Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck.
. Locoregional recurrence.
. After standard treatment of R/M HNSCC.
. Measurable disease. Defined as presence of at least one lesion as being ≥10 mm in at least one dimension measured with conventional computed tomography (CT) or ≥10 mm in at least one dimension measured with spiral CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
. Lesion selection criteria - at least 1 lesion to be injected must be measurable and greater than or equal to 1.5 cm and longest diameter not exceed 10 cm in principle.
. ECOG performance status ≤2.
. Age ≧20 years old; and life expectancy of at least 12 weeks.
. Prior treatments with radiation therapy for palliative management of non-target lesion metastatic disease is permitted provided that at least 2 weeks have elapsed since the last fraction of radiation therapy, disease progression has been documented and all treatment related adverse events are ≦ grade 1 at the time of registration.
. Must not have received anticancer therapy used with an antineoplastic intent, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, biologic, or any investigational therapy within 14 days prior to the first dose of study drug.
. No history of allergic reactions attributed to methylene blue.
. Patient consent must be obtained.
. Negative pregnancy test, Fertile patients must use effective contraception.

Exclusion criteria

. Presence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases.
. The organ function measured within 14 days prior to study entry as defined below: Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 1,000/mm3, or platelets less than 100,000/mm3; serum bilirubin greater than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal range (ULN); alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) greater than 2.5 times the ULN if no demonstrable liver metastases, or greater than 5 times the ULN in the presence of liver metastases; creatinine clearance ≤40 ml/min.
. Concomitant illness including uncontrolled infection or other active, uncontrolled disease such as congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, respiratory insufficiency, and arrhythmia.
. Documented hypersensitivity to methylene blue compound or compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition.
. Pregnant or lactating women.

Treatment and study plan

Methylene Blue (50 mg/10ml)

Drug

Methylene blue (50mg/10mL):

Volume: 2 mL, 5 mL, 8 mL and 10mL are used for intratumoral injections in different lesion sizes.

Frequency: weekly

Radiation dose: 50-60 Gy for target lesions

Primary outcomes

Any unexpected severe adverse event resulting from the combination treatment.

Time frame: "through study completion, an average of 1 year"

The investigators specify that the key feasibility objectives for our study would be considered successful if the following are met: 80% of patients received methylene blue experience no unpredicted harm during the treatment of methylene blue. The definition of unpredicted harm includes death within one month after last dose of methylene blue administration, or unpredicted ≧ grade 3 AE during methylene blue administration. The severity of adverse events was assessed using CTCAE v5.0.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

China Medical University Hospital

Other

Collaborators

China Medical University, Taiwan

Registry information

Official study title

A Phase I Pilot Study of Tumor Local Injection Methylene Blue Combined With Radiation for Radiation Resistance Local Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2027
First posted: Feb 27, 2026
Registry last updated: Feb 27, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Active, Not Recruiting