Receive a lymph node biopsy to guide personalized neck radiation therapy

Back to Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma trials

Recruiting

What is this trial?

This trial is testing a new approach to treating throat cancer (squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx) using radiation therapy. Instead of automatically radiating both sides of the neck, doctors will use a sentinel lymph node biopsy—a procedure to check a few key lymph nodes for cancer—to decide which parts of the neck actually need radiation. This personalized approach aims to reduce radiation side effects while keeping treatment just as effective.

Standard throat cancer treatment typically involves radiation to both sides of the neck to catch any microscopic cancer spread that imaging can't detect. However, this broad radiation approach causes permanent side effects like dry mouth and trouble swallowing that significantly hurt quality of life. This trial exists to see whether the new treatment can spare patients unnecessary radiation on one or both sides of the neck by using a reliable biopsy test to guide decisions, resulting in fewer side effects without compromising safety.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are 18 years or older
you have been newly diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the throat, larynx, or hypopharynx
imaging scans (CT, MRI, or PET) show the cancer has not spread to lymph nodes on the opposite side of your neck
your medical team has recommended you receive radiation therapy (with or without chemotherapy) as curative treatment
your tumor is accessible for the sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure

You likely don't qualify if…

you have had previous cancer treatment to your head and neck area, including prior surgery or radiation
your cancer is well-contained to one side and does not require bilateral neck radiation according to treatment guidelines
you are being treated with non-platinum-based chemotherapy agents like cetuximab
you have an airway obstruction, a tracheostomy, or another active cancer in the past 3 years
you have conditions that would prevent you from reliably following the study schedule or protocol

What participation looks like

If you enroll, you will undergo a sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure under general anesthesia, in which doctors inject a tracer and remove a few key lymph nodes to check for cancer. Based on the biopsy results, your radiation therapy plan will be personalized—you may receive radiation to just one side of the neck, both sides, or the primary tumor only, depending on what the biopsy shows. You will then receive standard radiation therapy (with or without chemotherapy) as planned, and your medical team will follow you over time to monitor how well the treatment works and what side effects you experience.

Testing a smarter way to avoid unnecessary neck radiation in throat cancer

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(9 sites)