Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

Patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery often have a lot of pain after surgery, which can lead to a need for a lot of narcotic pain medication. These medications can have many side effects that can make recovery more difficult including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, being overly sleepy, itchiness, inability to urinate, confusion, inability to have a bowel movement, longer time before being able to start walking. These side effects can make the hospital stay longer. The use of gabapentin, which is a non narcotic pain medication that focuses on nerve pain, has been used in smaller head and neck surgeries including removal of tonsils, sinus surgery, thyroid surgery. Studies in patients needing orthopedic or OB/Gyn surgery have shown improved pain control with gabapentin. Potential benefits to future patients include improved pain control, less narcotic associated side effects and faster functional recovery.

This is a randomized prospective pilot study assessing the safety and feasibility of two yoga interventions in head and neck cancer patients undergoing primary or adjuvant radiation with or without concurrent chemotherapy

The study will evaluate the safety of topical norepinephrine in head and neck cancer patients who are receiving treatment with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The study will also provide information about whether topical norepinephrine can prevent or decrease the severity of the radiation-induced alopecia experienced by these patients.

This pilot clinical trial studies a home-based lymphedema care program in improving lymphedema self-care in head and neck cancer survivors. A home-based lymphedema care program may help head and neck cancer survivors manage their lymphedema and improve their well-being and quality of life.

RATIONALE: Electroacupuncture may help relieve chronic dry mouth caused by radiation therapy. It is not yet known whether electroacupuncture is more effective than a placebo in treating chronic dry mouth caused by radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying electroacupuncture to see how well it works compared with a placebo in treating chronic dry mouth caused by radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancer.

RATIONALE: Swallowing exercise therapy may improve the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying early onset of swallowing exercise therapy to see how well it works compared to late onset of swallowing exercise therapy in treating patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

RATIONALE: Glutamine may be effective in decreasing side effects, such as inflammation of the mouth and throat, caused by radiation therapy. The effectiveness of glutamine for mucositis is not yet known. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of glutamine in treating patients who develop mucositis following radiation therapy for newly diagnosed cancer of the mouth or throat.

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether and when patients with human papilloma virus positive squamous cell cancer of the oropharynx treated with radiation and chemotherapy clear their human papilloma virus infection.

The study will focus on survivorship care for head and neck cancer patients cared for within Duke Cancer Center clinics. Standardized survivorship care plans (sSCP) are being implemented based on the American Society for Clinical Oncology's criteria. These documents provide a summary of treatment received, and list side effects and follow-up information after cancer treatment. Taking advantage of this transition, the investigator will study three groups of patients: (a) early survivors treated before the sSCP was implemented, (b) early survivors treated after the sSCP was implemented, and (c) current patients who will receive an individualized enhanced SCP (eSCP), which will include additional information tailored to patient preferences. The investigators hypothesize that patients receiving enhanced survivorship care plans will increase their knowledge regarding their health care plan and wellness trajectory; increase their ability to identify the symptoms they most likely can expect as a result of their cancer treatment; and be more likely to engage in conversations with their PCP about healthy behaviors and screening guidelines.

Undernutrition in cancerology is frequent because it's present for thirty to fifty percent of the patients at the time of the diagnosis. According to the recommendations of the French Speaking Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (SFNEP) of November 2012, a five percent loss of weight compared to the previous weight increases the risk of toxicity of the chemotherapy and worsens the patient's quality of life. The treatment of the tumors of the head and the neck comes along very often with a loss of weight (17.4 % after one year of radiotherapy according to the study of Larsson et al.) which varies with the chosen treatment, and shows a major risk at the patients whose therapeutic sequence involves a radiotherapy. The irradiation of the upper aerodigestive tract is source of aftereffects and late complications: xerostomia, oedemas of mucous membranes. The xerostomia, connected to the damage of the salivary glands, is a frequent complaint of the patients. It reveals or even increases, a dysphagia. According to Woisard, six months after the end of treatments, forty percent of the patients suffer from a dysphagia. All these complications limit quantitatively and qualitatively the food intake. The adaptation of the texture of the food is necessary by fifty four percent at three months of the end of treatments according to Logemann et al., and a few patients remain dependent on an long term enteral nutrition. Beyond a change of the nutritional state, the feeding difficulties or even the absence of resumption of an oral feeding are responsible for a social isolation. The meal which lost its dimension of pleasure becomes a source of fear and obsession for the patient as well as for his relations, and this fact generates family tensions. The quality of life of the patient is heavily affected. Ravasco showed in his study that the impact on the nutritional state of a nutritional care by dietary advices was more important as the prescription of oral nutritional supplements but based on a short period (the dietary intervention covered only the duration of the radiotherapy). But what would happen after the end of treatments? The investigators emit the hypothesis that a post-therapeutic systematic and regular dietary support has a positive impact on the prevention of the undernutrition among the patients affected by a first cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract whom therapeutic sequence involves a radiotherapy.