Recruiting

Nutrition, Exercise, and Wellness Support During Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

Plain-English translation of NCT07160296 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated September 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 pilot study is testing a 20-week lifestyle program designed to help people with head and neck cancer feel stronger and more resilient during chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The program combines three components: weekly nutrition counseling with a dietitian, twice-weekly home-based exercise videos plus daily walking, and weekly wellness education focused on stress, sleep, and managing side effects. The goal is to see if this combination helps prevent muscle loss and improves overall quality of life during intensive cancer therapy.

People undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for head and neck cancer often lose muscle mass and struggle with fatigue and other side effects that can make treatment harder to tolerate. This study exists to see whether offering professional nutrition support, guided exercise, and wellness coaching together can help patients stay stronger and cope better during their treatment.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are 18 years or older
you have been diagnosed with head and neck cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) confirmed by biopsy
you are scheduled to receive chemotherapy and radiation as your main cancer treatment
you are able to do light-to-moderate physical activity safely
you are able to understand the study and provide informed consent

You likely don't qualify if…

you have severe malnutrition that requires you to be fed exclusively through a tube
you have other serious health conditions that would make exercise unsafe for you
you have cognitive or psychiatric conditions that would make it hard for you to participate fully in the study

What participation looks like

If you join, you will participate in a 20-week program that happens alongside your cancer treatment. You'll attend weekly group nutrition counseling sessions with an oncology dietitian who will help set personalized calorie and protein goals for you. You'll do home-based resistance and mobility exercises twice a week using online videos and aim to walk daily (tracking your own progress). You'll also join weekly wellness education group sessions led by a health coach covering stress management, sleep, and fatigue—and five of these sessions will include special training on swallowing and airway care specific to head and neck cancer. There are no charges for any of these services since the study is testing them as supportive care during your treatment.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jul 18, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(2 sites)

United States

Renown Regional Medical Center, Reno, Nevada

Conrad Breast Center at South Meadows, Reno, Nevada