Active clinical trials for "Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck"

According to the World Health Organization, oral cancer (OC) is the eighth most common cancer in the world with a five year survival rate of 50%. Oral cancer tumor cells produce biochemical substances, tumor markers, differed from healthy individuals in expression or quantitative ratio, detectable in tissues and/or body fluids. Saliva, because of its accessibility, proximity and noninvasive approach, presents an ideal tool for the research of oral cancer tumor markers. The aim of this study will be to isolate, quantify, analyze the role and describe the kinetics of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A), Squamous Cell Carcinoma associated Antigen (SCCA), Trophoblast cell surface antigen (TROP2) in patients with OC, potentially malignant disorders (PMOD) and age and sex matched control group with a clear medical history. There are number of studies published on OC tumor markers isolated mostly in serum, however the satisfactory specificity and sensitivity still hasn't been reached. Liquid chromatography-ion trap-mass spectrometry, Multiple Reaction Monitoring method (LC-IT-MS, MRM) will be developed to isolate and quantify the above mentioned tumor markers. This method has not yet been used to quantify the above mentioned salivary tumor markers. Ap4A and TROP2 have never been isolated from saliva. The aim is to develop a tumor-specific test with a satisfactory statistical sensitivity and specificity and dynamically measure the levels of tumor markers, before and immediately after therapy - surgery/radiotherapy/chemotherapy or their combination, and during regular follow-up one and two years after surgery. As another novelty, the investigators aim to determine the markers circadian rhythm. A OC tumor specific test, with satisfactory sensitivity and specificity, would enable earlier OC diagnosis, possibly before the clinical appearance, raise the survival rate of OC patients, enable early diagnosis of recurrence and/or new primary tumors and ensure better post-treatment life-quality.

Oral cancer represents the sixth most common cancer worldwide whilst in Pakistan it ranks the second most common cancer in either gender. Histologically, over 90% of oral cancer lesions are squamous cell carcinomas which are diagnosed on the basis of histopathological analysis. However, proliferation kinetics and nucleolar status are not clearly delineated by routine H&E examination; thus making use of various proliferation markers imperative for the purpose. Nuclear organizer regions (AgNORs) are associated with proliferative activity and represents as a diagnostic aid in oral malignancies. Similarly, methyl green pyronin (MGP) stain has also been valuable as a complement in routine histopathological studies of several neoplastic entities. Morphometric techniques offer an opportunity to quantify nuclear changes associated with malignancy and may provide an objective basis for grading the tumors. The present study is planned to analyze the morphometric parameters of the MGP stain in oral squamous cell carcinoma, and in their various histological grades, and to assess if the MGP staining parameters could give information on the aggressiveness of the malignant lesions of oral cavity. Sections from thirty cases of squamous cell carcinoma along with thirty cases of normal oral mucosa will be evaluated for methyl green pyronin (MGP) and AgNOR staining. Morphometric analysis of various MGP staining and AgNOR parameters would be performed using micrometer. Statistical analysis of the results will be carried out using SPSS. Quantitative variables will be expressed as mean ± Standard Deviation. Frequencies and percentages will be given for qualitative variables. It is hypothesized that oral squamous cell carcinoma will exhibit significantly higher MGP staining and AgNOR staining parameters than normal mucosa of the oral cavity.

This is a retrospective study in patients with cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Imaging exams of these patients will be analyzed with the objective of developing and validating a clinically applicable method for evaluation of cachexia and/or sarcopenia in a patient with head and neck cancer from musculature imaging of the neck. Indeed, the prognostic influence of body composition will be evaluated.

Overall survival of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unsatisfactory due to often advanced clinical stage at diagnosis and high rate of recurrence and second primaries. About 75 % of patients with localized HNSCC are expected to show circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) pre-treatment. ctDNA reflects tumor genome and disease burden and is termed 'liquid biopsy' (LB) when collected through venous bloodstream. LB has potential to assist in early diagnosis of recurrence and progression, and prediction of response to targeted therapeutic agents. Increased metabolic activity measured in positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is currently the most sensitive technique to detect residual cancer or progression of HNSCC after curative treatment. High metabolically active tumor volume (MTV) is associated with treatment resistance and shows independent prognostic significance. The objective is (i) to investigate whether MTV detected with PET-CT correlates to the pattern and amount of genetic alterations in ctDNA of patients with HNSCC referred to radio- (chemo)therapy (RT/CRT). Another objective is (ii) to determine sensitivity of LB compared to PET/CT in detecting residual tumor 3 months after completion of RT/CRT. Third (iii), genetic landscape in LB and fresh tumor samples will be evaluated to detect resistance genes and targets for immunotherapy and surveillance post-treatment. This prospective study includes 30 patients with stage III/IV HNSCC. Before onset and 3 months from RT/CRT, LB is obtained for next-generation DNA sequencing using a commercial platform. ctDNA and digital droplet PCR will be quantified and compared to MTV in simultaneously acquired PET-CT. The investigators hypothesize that LB could assist or replace PET/CT in response monitoring and detection of recurrence after RT/CRT.

Investigation of the molecular mechanism and clinical significance of the interplay between Twist1 and other EMT regulators through microRNA-29 family.

This study is designed to refine the aetiological causes of cancers of the head and neck and investigate the ways in which human papillomavirus and life-style factors cause head and neck cancers. This study will determine if these factors affect the treatment of cancer. All patients attending the Head and Neck Clinic at the Princess Alexandra Hospital is invited to complete a risk factor questionnaire and give consent for their clinical data and tissue samples to be available for future research activities. The risk factor questionnaire is based on existing validated instruments developed by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Cancer Control Group, and will collect standardised information relating to demographics and causal factors (tobacco and alcohol intake), risk modifiers (dentition, asprin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), height, weight, physical activity, diet quality etc) and behaviours (oral sex etc)

The purpose of the study is to assess the role of lymphoscintigraphy as a simple and widely accessible method with a favorable cost/benefit ratio in improving oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma staging and surgical appropriateness and implementing a tailored surgical approach to cervical lymph node dissection.

The purpose is the description of anti-tumor immune responses in general and according to clinical stage and disease free survival (DFS: survival without recurrence (local or distant)) in patients with Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Secondary purposes are: Study of relationship between anti-tumor immune response and qualitative (yes/no) and quantitative (number) presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs); Study of relationship between qualitative (yes/no) and quantitative (number) presence of CTCs and clinical stage as well as DFS Study of relationship between anti-tumor immune response and clinical stage as well as DFS.

The mortality rate of oral cancer in Taiwan is still high with no decrease. One of the reasons result in these situations is the patent visits hospital for treatment in late stage of oral cancer. Recently, the government makes effort in oral cancer screening to find oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) early. However, there is no conscience in treatment strategies of OPMD up to now. In this study, we will set a OPMD data bank, and use the cases to find out the potential biomarker, which is able to predict the oral cancer malignant transformation. Sixty OPMD with oral cancer transformation will be recruited, and 60 OPMD with no oral cancer malignant transformation will also be enrolled as the disease control group. Besides, 20 normal cases and 60 oral cancer cases resulting from previous OPMD will be collected. All those groups will detect the expression of p62/SQSTM1 to investigate the possibility that p62/SQSTM1 as a biomarker to predict the malignant transformation of OPMM, and a guideline to treat or not to treat OPMD.

The Role of microRNA-29b in the Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma