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AR goggles guide surgeons to leftover cancer cells in head and neck surgery

NCT ID NCT07686211

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 4 times

Summary

This study tests a new augmented reality (AR) system designed to help surgeons accurately re-remove tumor tissue during head and neck cancer surgery. After the main tumor is removed, the pathologist checks if any cancer cells remain at the edges (margins). Currently, the surgeon relies on verbal descriptions to find and remove those areas, which can be imprecise because soft tissue deforms after removal. The AR system uses 3D scanning and modeling to map the removed specimen back onto the surgical site, overlaying margin locations directly onto the patient via an AR headset. Surgeons will perform re-resection tasks on cadavers with and without the AR system to compare accuracy and usability.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Augmented reality surgical navigation system
What this could lead to
If successful, this AR system could help surgeons remove leftover cancer cells more accurately during head and neck surgery, potentially lowering recurrence rates.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study using cadavers, not live patients. The system may not work as well in real surgery, and benefits for patient outcomes are not yet proven.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Early phase 1

The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.

Participants

About 30 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2026

Expected to finish

Jun 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Post-graduate year 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (PGY2-5) resident physicians. (no age limit) 2. Surgical fellows. 3. Attending physicians. 4. Prior cadaver lab or surgical experience. 5. Any surgeon, regardless of training and experience, who has been involved in the surgeon-pathologist interaction during surgical resection for frozen section and margin clearance assessment. Exclusion Criteria: 1\. Non-physician surgery providers.

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

FELLOW Physician Resident doctor Resident surgeon Surgeon Surgical

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States

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