New imaging study aims to sharpen radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

NCT ID NCT04612075

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Norwegian University of Science and Technology Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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

Summary

This study is testing whether advanced PET/MR imaging can help doctors personalize radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Researchers will scan 390 patients before, during, and after treatment to see if imaging details can predict survival and response. The goal is to improve outcomes and reduce side effects by tailoring radiation more precisely.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: FDG-PET/MRI (diagnostic imaging test)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could lead to more personalized radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, potentially improving survival and reducing side effects.
What could go wrong: This is an observational imaging study, not a treatment trial. It may not directly change patient outcomes, and results may take years to apply in practice.

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.

Participants

About 390 people

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

Started

Jan 2021

Expected to finish

Dec 2028

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.

Who is studied

Study population 1 consists of all patients who are referred to the "fast track" clinical pathway for HNC at St. Olavs hospital, approximately 130 patients per year for three years. Out of these, 60 patients are defined as study population 2, due to locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) of squamous cell histology scheduled for definitive (chemo)radiotherapy with curative intent.

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: * willing and able to give full written consent according to the protocol approved by the Regional Ethics Committee * histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma in the head neck region (pharynx, larynx, oral cavity or sinonasal area) * locally advanced disease without sign of dissemination (T3/T4 and/or N1-3, M0) on diagnostic imaging * scheduled for definitive radiotherapy with curative intent with or without concomitant chemotherapy * adequate renal function: Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 ml/minute * lymph node metastasis from cancer of unknown primary of the upper neck (i.e. level II-III) were PET/CT is negative outside the head-neck region can be considered for inclusion at the discretion of the study investigators. Exclusion Criteria: * general contraindications for MRI (pacemaker, aneurysm clips, any form of metal in the body, severe claustrophobia) * serious comorbidity (including previous or othe cancer) that in the opinion of the investigator would compromise the patient's ability to complete the study of interfere with the evaluation of the study objectives (e.g. poorly controlled diabetes mellitus) * histologically confirmed SCC of same or other origin within the last five years * patient wants to withdraw for any reason during the study

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

head and neck cancer head and neck neoplasm Head and Neck Neoplasms head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Head and neck neoplasms

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

New imaging study aims to sharpen radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

What the study statuses mean