Radioactive implants during surgery aim to stop head and neck Cancer's return
NCT ID NCT02467738
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested whether placing tiny radioactive seeds (Cesium-131) into the wound during surgery can kill leftover cancer cells in patients whose head and neck cancer has come back. Thirty adults with resectable tumors received the implant right after tumor removal. Researchers tracked how long patients stayed cancer-free and monitored side effects like infection or poor healing. The goal is to see if this extra step can lower the chance of cancer returning.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cesium-131 (radioactive implant)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could offer a new way to reduce cancer recurrence after surgery for head and neck cancer that has come back.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early pilot study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Risks include infection, poor wound healing, bleeding, and fistula formation.
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
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2015
- Finished
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May 2020
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis: Subjects with a diagnosis of recurrent head and neck cancer 2. Based on clinical and radiographic evidence the tumor needs to be deemed resectable preoperatively 3. Age: Subjects must be ≥ 18 years of age and ≤ 90 years old 4. Informed Consent: All subjects must be able to comprehend and sign a written informed consent document Exclusion Criteria: 1. Subjects who are pregnant or may become pregnant 2. Unresectable tumor 3. Other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition that may increase the risk associated with study participation, and in the judgment of the investigator would make the subject inappropriate for entry into this study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- New radiation technique offers hope for head and neck cancer patients with few options