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Could less radiation be better? new trial spares healthy neck tissue

NCT ID NCT00593840

Disease control Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 30, 2026 · Updated 4 times

Summary

This phase 2 trial tests whether it is safe to skip radiation on one or both sides of the neck that show no signs of cancer after surgery. The goal is to reduce side effects like dry mouth and trouble swallowing without increasing the chance of cancer returning. The study includes 74 people with head and neck cancers who have already had surgery and need radiation to the main tumor site.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could allow doctors to safely avoid radiating healthy neck tissue, reducing side effects like dry mouth and swallowing problems for future patients.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial with only 74 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. There is a risk that cancer could return in the untreated neck area.

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

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

74 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2007

Expected to finish

Apr 2027

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

18 years and older

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: * Patients with pathologically proven tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx . * Treated with surgical resection with one (or both) side(s) of the neck pathologically N0. * Indication for radiation therapy at the primary site or neck consisting of any of the below characteristics: * Close margin (\<= 0.5 cm) * Positive margin * Perineural invasion * Lymphovascular space invasion * Metastatic disease in more than one lymph node * Metastatic disease in more than one lymph node group * Extracapsular extension in any lymph node * Constellation of factors considered to be at risk based on the multi-disciplinary tumor board discussion. * Age \>= 18. * Patients must sign study specific, Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Previous head and neck cancer other than non melanoma skin cancer. * Previous head and neck surgery. * Female patients who are pregnant or nursing.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

head and neck cancer hypopharyngeal carcinoma laryngeal carcinoma laryngeal neoplasm oral cavity cancer oropharyngeal carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cancer of the larynx

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Washington University School of Medicine

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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