Recruiting

Getting Your Body Ready Before Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

Plain-English translation of NCT06593639 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated December 2025 · Translation generated July 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether a preparation program can help head and neck cancer patients feel stronger and healthier before they start their main cancer treatment. The program combines exercise, better nutrition, and stress-reduction techniques. Researchers want to see if getting your body and mind ready—before surgery or chemotherapy and radiation begins—helps you handle treatment better and recover faster.

While doctors know that exercise, good nutrition, and stress management help cancer patients, there is very little research specifically on head and neck cancer patients. This trial exists to find out whether preparing your body and mind before treatment actually works for this group of patients and whether it's practical to do.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are 18 years or older
you have been diagnosed with head and neck cancer and are eligible for surgery or chemotherapy with radiation as your main treatment
you are in good enough physical and mental health to participate in exercise and eat normally
you are able and willing to follow an exercise program and make lifestyle changes
your cancer treatment will begin within 60 days of enrolling in the study

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a serious medical condition that needs immediate care, such as uncontrolled heart failure or severe breathing problems
your cancer is very advanced and you are being treated to manage symptoms rather than cure
you have severe muscle loss or wasting that would prevent you from exercising safely
you have serious mental health issues that would prevent you from participating in the program
your doctor says you need to start treatment right away without time to prepare

What participation looks like

You would work with a team to prepare your body and mind before your cancer treatment begins. This means attending sessions focused on exercise, nutrition counseling, and stress reduction techniques. Depending on your treatment plan, you'll either be in the surgery group or the chemotherapy-radiation group. The program runs from when you join until your treatment starts, and researchers will track how well you stick with the program, how you feel, and how the preparation affects your overall health during and after your main cancer treatment.

Getting Your Body Ready Before Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(5 sites)