Proton therapy for head and neck cancer that returns after radiation

REPROton-HN is a study following patients who receive proton therapy to treat head and neck cancer that has returned after prior radiation treatment. Proton therapy is a precise form of radiation that targets tumors while sparing nearby healthy tissues. The study will track how well this treatment works, what side effects occur, and how it affects quality of life.

Some patients with head and neck cancer develop tumors that come back in areas already treated with radiation, making surgery difficult or impossible. Standard radiation therapy can be risky because surrounding organs and tissues have already received high radiation doses, so doctors need better information about whether and how proton therapy can safely help these patients.