Mid-treatment PET scan may allow safer, lower radiation for throat cancer

NCT ID NCT04667585

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Duke University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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

Summary

This study is testing whether a PET scan taken partway through radiation treatment can identify patients with HPV-related throat cancer who can safely receive a lower dose of radiation. The goal is to reduce side effects while still controlling the cancer. About 120 adults with stage I-III oropharynx cancer are being enrolled.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: reduced dose of radiation therapy
What this could lead to: If successful, this could allow many patients with HPV-related throat cancer to receive less radiation, reducing long-term side effects without compromising cancer control.
What could go wrong: This is a single-arm, non-randomized study with 120 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Lowering radiation might increase the risk of cancer recurrence in some patients.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

human papillomavirus-related squamous cell carcinoma oropharynx cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

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

OROPHARYNX CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Duke Raleigh Hospital

Raleigh, North Carolina, 27609, United States
Duke University Medical Center

Durham, North Carolina, 27710, United States

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