Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

The dissemination of individual tumor cells is a common phenomenon in solid cancers. Detection of tumor cells in peripheral blood circulating tumor cells (CTC) in nonmetastatic situation is of high prognostic significance. The objective of our study was to detect circulating tumor cells in two different method in patient with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma .

The aim of this prospective randomized study was to investigate if the LigaSure vessel sealing system can reduce the operation duration and the postoperative drainage amount in patients undergoing neck dissection.

Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are dying younger than the general population; cancer is a leading cause of death in this population. People with SMI have higher rates of dying from breast, lung, and colon cancer, and disparities in treatment appear to be one contributing factor. Individuals with SMI may be diagnosed with more advanced stage cancer and less likely to receive stage-appropriate cancer treatment. Although collaborative care models integrating medical and psychiatric care have shown promise in other populations, the challenge of treating SMI and cancer is distinct and relatively understudied. Patients may have uncontrolled psychiatric symptoms that can impact their understanding of their diagnosis and treatment decisions. Oncologists have less training and inadequate time to address multiple unmet needs. Mental health care is frequently fragmented from cancer care. The investigators want to understand if it is helpful for patients with SMI to be connected to a psychiatrist and case manager when cancer is diagnosed. Optimizing psychiatric symptoms and facilitating communication between the patient, the oncology team, and mental health providers may improve care. The goal is to pilot a pragmatic intervention for patients with cancer and SMI that can be integrated into cancer care, is acceptable to patients and oncology clinicians, and may promote the delivery of stage-appropriate cancer treatment to an underserved population. Patients will be connected to a psychiatrist and case manager at cancer diagnosis who will follow the patient and communicate with the oncology team during the 12 week intervention. All participants will complete brief surveys at baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. Oncology clinicians will provide feedback about the intervention at 12 weeks. Cancer treatment received and healthcare utilization will be assessed at 6 months post-intervention.

In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the presence of lymph node metastases in addition to free resection margins following surgical resection of the primary tumor is an important prognostic factor, and may impact planning of surgery as well as of radiotherapy. Until now, imaging modalities including PET/CT and MRI did not allow to exclude especially small lymph node metastases. Compared to standard whole-body PET/CT acquisition techniques, high-resolution (HR) head and neck PET/CT acquisitions promise improved detection of lymph node metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This prospective study aims to determine the sensitivity and specificity of lymph node staging with HR FDG-PET/CT in HNSCC by correlating PET/CT with histopathology after neck dissection. HR PET/CT may have a relevant impact on the therapeutic concept, and the planning and dose prescription of radiotherapy.

The investigators suppose: 1. SND may cause damage to the soft tissue around shoulder girdle. 2. The soft tissue injury may be related with the order of severity of wing scapula and duration after SND. The aims of this study are: 1. To assess the functional disabilities of shoulder and upper extremity in different time period after SND. 2. To evaluate the soft tissue lesion of shoulder with soft tissue ultrasonography to prove our hypothesis. This study is a two years, prospective, cross-section study. The investigators will enroll 80 HNC post SND within 3months, >3- 6months,> 6months -1 year, more than 1 year as four different groups, 20 patient in each group.

An open-label, non-randomized study to assess the titration, safety and efficacy of intranasal fentanyl pectin nasal spray for the treatment of secondary breakthrough pain secondary to radiation-induced mucositis in patients with confirmed tolerance of opioid therapy for chronic pain. Study objectives include assessment of breakthrough pain episodes related with food intake in patients with mucositis secondary to radiotherapy or radio-chemotherapy for head and neck tumors

This study is a phase II trial designed to test the feasibility of delivering IMRT to head and neck cancer patients with tumours arising in the midline (oropharynx and hypopharynx), and to assess possible improvement in reducing the incidence of xerostomia with bilateral superficial lobe parotid sparing IMRT.

Communication is an important component of comprehensive cancer care impacting patient satisfaction, adherence, and quality of life. The wide array of issues addressed in cancer clinical interactions makes communicating about a broad range of topics (including quality of life, communication, symptom control, complementary/alternative therapies, costs, treatment burden, prognosis, anxiety, side-effects, sexual function, palliative care options, etc.) especially interesting and potentially challenging. Some of these topics may not be routinely addressed in the clinical interaction or may require consultative support from other members of the comprehensive cancer care team. One frequently overlooked critical element in research on communication between cancer clinicians, their patients, and their primary care clinicians is describing real-time consultations between patients and their clinicians. These interactions provide rich material for assessing key psycho-social dynamics and identifying issues that patients find important in their care. In order to devise systems of care that optimize the patient experience, it is critical that clinicians and researchers understand, appreciate, and systematically characterize the richness and complexity of the decision-making process in routine cancer consultations between cancer patients and their treating clinicians. This study seeks to assess the patient experience in cancer care by observing patients and their physicians in their clinical interactions and following them for several months to see how their care went. By describing in-depth the conversations and experiences of patients in these clinical interactions, this study will lay the foundation for practice-based interventions to optimize patients' interactions with their cancer care teams.

Radiation therapy of the head and neck cancer patients causes late oral radiation complications such as xerostomia (dry mouth) or mucosal atrophy. Currently, methods such as hyperbaric oxygen are used to treat these complications; however, there are no quantifiable means of assessing the outcome of these methods. At present, subjective methods such as superficial examination of the oral cavity are used, yet complications are known to mostly start in the subsurface layers. In this feasibility study, we apply an imaging technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a means of providing objective and quantifiable images of the subsurface micro-structural and micro-vascular changes of oral tissue. Depth-resolved, micrometer-resolution OCT images provide information on changes associated with late radiation complications.

This clinical trial studies image-guided adaptive radiotherapy in detecting tumors during treatment in patients with head and neck cancer. Image-guided adaptive radiotherapy uses high quality imaging technology to detect the tumor and normal organs during treatment. It is not yet known which imaging technique provides the best image for guidance during treatment with radiation therapy. Comparing results of imaging procedures done before, during, and after radiotherapy may help doctors plan the best treatment.