Plain-English translation of NCT05541016 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.
This trial is testing a new approach to treating early-stage throat cancer caused by HPV. Instead of giving every patient the same radiation dose, doctors will use a blood test that detects tumor DNA to personalize treatment intensity. The goal is to give patients the right amount of therapy — no more, no less — based on their individual risk of cancer returning.
Standard throat cancer treatment can cause serious long-term side effects like difficulty swallowing and hearing loss. This trial exists to see if blood tests can help doctors safely reduce radiation doses for patients at low risk of recurrence, while still treating high-risk patients intensively enough.
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If you enroll, you will have surgery or chemoradiation as your main treatment. You will also have blood drawn multiple times — before surgery, shortly after, and then at regular intervals for up to 5 years — to measure tumor DNA levels. Depending on your risk group, you may receive standard radiation therapy, a newer form of radiation called DART with chemotherapy (), or observation without extra treatment. You will also have swallowing studies and imaging scans at various timepoints, and complete questionnaires about your quality of life and any side effects.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Aug 5, 2026 · Not medical advice
United States