Can a fat flap reduce neck pain after cancer? small study aims to find out

NCT ID NCT05889091

First seen Nov 01, 2025 · Last updated Jun 20, 2026 · Updated 28 times

Summary

This pilot study tests whether a buried fat flap surgery can safely reduce neck morbidity—like pain, stiffness, and swallowing trouble—in people treated for head and neck cancer. Twelve adults who need salvage neck dissection after radiation will receive the flap and be monitored for complications and quality-of-life changes. The goal is to see if the procedure is practical and worth testing in larger trials.

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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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Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-••••

Locations

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)

    RECRUITING

    New York, New York, 10065, United States

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-••••

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-••••

What this could mean

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

Active substance

buried free fat flap (ALT flap) surgery

What this could lead to

If successful, this procedure could offer a way to reduce long-term neck discomfort and improve quality of life for head and neck cancer survivors.

What could go wrong

This is a very small pilot study (12 people) with no control group, so results may not apply broadly. Surgery carries risks like infection, flap loss, or blood clots.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

head and neck squamous cell carcinoma Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

As listed by the trial registrant

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