Radiation after surgery may keep early oral cancer at bay

NCT ID NCT03853655

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looked at whether giving radiation therapy after surgery can prevent early-stage oral cancer from coming back. It included 392 patients with tumors at least 5mm thick. Half received radiation, half were just watched. The main goal was to see if radiation reduced local or regional cancer recurrence.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

radiation therapy

What this could lead to

If successful, this could show that adding radiotherapy after surgery lowers the chance of cancer coming back in patients with early oral cancer and thick tumors.

What could go wrong

This trial is completed but results are not yet widely known. The benefit may be small, and radiotherapy has side effects like mouth sores and dry mouth. The study only included certain tumor types and thicknesses, so findings may not apply to all patients.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

carcinoma of floor of mouth cheek mucosa cancer head and neck cancer Head and Neck Neoplasms Mouth Neoplasms oral cavity cancer oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma of floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue tongue cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences

    Kochi, Kerala, 682041, India

  • Dr. B Barooah Cancer Institute

    Guwahati, Assam, 781016, India

  • HCG Hospital

    Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380006, India

  • Kailash Cancer Hospital and Research Centre

    Goraj, Gujarat, 391760, India

  • Malabar Cancer Centre

    Kannur, Kerala, 670103, India

  • Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre

    Bangalore, Karnataka, 560100, India

  • Sree Sankara Cancer Hospital

    Bangalore, Karnataka, 560004, India

  • Tata Memorial Centre

    Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400012, India