About this trial
This trial uses blood tests and questionnaires to study how well participants with head and neck cancer that has spread to other places in the body adhere to swallowing exercises to prevent future disease. Using blood tests to study cytokines (proteins related to the immune system) may help doctors learn if certain levels of cytokines affect whether or not side effects occur and if they put participants at risk for future disease. Questionnaires may help doctors learn about the reasons head and neck cancer participants may or may not follow the swallowing exercises that they are asked to perform after receiving radiation treatments.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Are dispositioned to receive radiation with curative intent for nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, laryngeal, or an unknown primary cancer with cervical metastases
Are stage II-IVb for non- human papillomavirus (HPV)- related oropharyngeal cancer
Have HPV- related oropharynx cancer that is T1, have nodal involvement with no distant metastasis or have HPV- related oropharynx cancer that is at least T2 with no distant metastasis
Are stage II-IVb for laryngeal cancer
Disqualifiers
Have other cancer diagnoses, except non-melanoma skin cancer
Had treatment for previous head and neck cancer or radiation to the head and neck
Have a history of previous head and neck surgery (excluding biopsy and/or tonsillectomy and/or tracheotomy)
Have a current oropharyngeal dysphagia unrelated to cancer diagnosis (e.g., dysphagia due to underlying neurogenic disorder)
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Biospecimen Collection
- Questionnaire Administration
Treatment groups
Locations
1Sponsors and collaborators
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Lead sponsor
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Collaborator