AzTrials
AzTrials

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and NeckNCT03552965

Margin-Based Vs. Robust Photon Radiotherapy Planning in IMRT of HN-SQCC

A study testing Robust Radiotherapy planning and Margin-Based Radiotherapy planning in people with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck, run by University of Arkansas at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This is a research study to evaluate the quality of life and amount of dry mouth experienced as a result of radiotherapy in subjects who have squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HN-SQCC). This study will compare the side effects experienced based on the method to plan radiotherapy, Margin Based or Robust. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 21 years and older
What is being tested?
Robust Radiotherapy planning and Margin-Based Radiotherapy planning
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
23 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
19 Jun 2018to 1 Feb 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 21 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Histological documentation of Squamous-Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (HN-SQCC)
  • Older than 21 years of age
  • Subject is eligible for routine chemo-radiotherapy for treatment of HN-SQCC
  • Informed consent is obtained
  • Karnofsky performance of at least 70 points

Who cannot join

  • Women with a positive urine pregnancy test are excluded from this study; women of childbearing potential must agree to refrain from breast feeding and practice adequate contraception
  • Unable to comply with study procedures
  • Use of saliva stimulating prescription drugs such as Evoxac or Salagen
  • Unable to receive standard chemotherapy

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

    Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Prospective Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial of Margin-Based Vs. Robust Photon Radiotherapy Planning in Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy of Squamous-Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

This is a research study to evaluate the quality of life and amount of dry mouth experienced as a result of radiotherapy in subjects who have squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HN-SQCC). This study will compare the side effects experienced based on the method to plan radiotherapy, Margin Based or Robust.

Read the detailed description

This is a prospective randomized pilot clinical trial, stratified by primary tumor site, to evaluate the degree of xerostomia and quality of life (QOL) in subjects with HN-SQCC treated with radiation therapy under margin-based and robust radiotherapy treatment plans. Margin-based plans will use both biological (biological optimization) and physical objectives whereas robust planning will use physical objectives for sparing of the parotid glands. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and standard chemotherapy will be used. QOL (quality of life) will be measured using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-C30 questionnaire and EORTC QLQ-H\&N35 (head and neck) module before radiotherapy (baseline) and then 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after radiotherapy. Xerostomia will be measured in study subjects using two patient-reported scoring systems completed by each subject before radiotherapy and then 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after radiotherapy: Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force (LENT)-Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic (SOMA) LENT/SOMA grading system and the University of Michigan's Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ). The data collected by this randomized pilot clinical trial will be used to inform the design of, and decision-making for, future larger studies that seek to compare different methods of radiotherapy planning in the treatment of HN-SQCC.

Being tested
Robust Radiotherapy planning, Margin-Based Radiotherapy planning
Keywords
xerostomia, Robust photon radiotherapy, Margin based radiotherapy
Medical subject headings
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck, Xerostomia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Robust Radiotherapy planningOther

    Investigator will plan Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) using calculations that minimize the dose of radiation to normal tissue

  • Margin-Based Radiotherapy planningOther

    Investigator will plan Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) using calculations that introduce a margin to the target area

Study groups in NCT03552965
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Margin-Based Radiotherapy PlanningActive comparatorThis arm will receive Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) that was calculated by introducing a margin to the target area.
Receives: Other: Margin-Based Radiotherapy planning
Robust Radiotherapy PlanningActive comparatorThis arm will receive Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) that was calculated to minimize the dose of radiation to normal tissue.
Receives: Other: Robust Radiotherapy planning

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Grade of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force -Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic (LENT/SOMA) scale. LENT/SOMA measures xerostomia in 4 stages. This ranges from Stage 1 "occasional dryness" through Stage 4 "complete dryness, debilitating". Lower stage values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher stage values.

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Grade of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force -Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic (LENT/SOMA) scale. LENT/SOMA measures xerostomia in 4 stages. This ranges from Stage 1 "occasional dryness" through Stage 4 "complete dryness, debilitating". Lower stage values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher stage values.

    Measured: Month 3 (i.e., 3 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

  3. Grade of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force -Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic (LENT/SOMA) scale. LENT/SOMA measures xerostomia in 4 stages. This ranges from Stage 1 "occasional dryness" through Stage 4 "complete dryness, debilitating". Lower stage values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher stage values.

    Measured: Month 6 (i.e., 6 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

  4. Grade of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force -Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic (LENT/SOMA) scale. LENT/SOMA measures xerostomia in 4 stages. This ranges from Stage 1 "occasional dryness" through Stage 4 "complete dryness, debilitating". Lower stage values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher stage values.

    Measured: Month 9 (i.e., 9 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

  5. Grade of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force -Subjective, Objective, Management, Analytic (LENT/SOMA) scale. LENT/SOMA measures xerostomia in 4 stages. This ranges from Stage 1 "occasional dryness" through Stage 4 "complete dryness, debilitating". Lower stage values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher stage values.

    Measured: Month 12 (i.e., 12 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

  6. Prevalence of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using University of Michigan's Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ). This questionnaire has 8 questions that measure the degree to which xerostomia is affecting quality of life. Patients rate each item on a scale from 0 to 10. Higher score denotes worse xerostomia. To analyze the XQ, scores on its 8 items will be summed for each subject at each time point to produce an overall XQ score whose values theoretically can range from 0 to 80; it will be treated as a continuous variable. Lower values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher values.

    Measured: Baseline

  7. Prevalence of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using University of Michigan's Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ). This questionnaire has 8 questions that measure the degree to which xerostomia is affecting quality of life. Patients rate each item on a scale from 0 to 10. Higher score denotes worse xerostomia. To analyze the XQ, scores on its 8 items will be summed for each subject at each time point to produce an overall XQ score whose values theoretically can range from 0 to 80; it will be treated as a continuous variable. Lower values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher values.

    Measured: Month 3 (i.e., 3 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

  8. Prevalence of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using University of Michigan's Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ). This questionnaire has 8 questions that measure the degree to which xerostomia is affecting quality of life. Patients rate each item on a scale from 0 to 10. Higher score denotes worse xerostomia. To analyze the XQ, scores on its 8 items will be summed for each subject at each time point to produce an overall XQ score whose values theoretically can range from 0 to 80; it will be treated as a continuous variable. Lower values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher values.

    Measured: Month 6 (i.e., 6 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

  9. Prevalence of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using University of Michigan's Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ). This questionnaire has 8 questions that measure the degree to which xerostomia is affecting quality of life. Patients rate each item on a scale from 0 to 10. Higher score denotes worse xerostomia. To analyze the XQ, scores on its 8 items will be summed for each subject at each time point to produce an overall XQ score whose values theoretically can range from 0 to 80; it will be treated as a continuous variable. Lower values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher values.

    Measured: Month 9 (i.e., 9 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

  10. Prevalence of Xerostomia

    Self reported dry mouth using University of Michigan's Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ). This questionnaire has 8 questions that measure the degree to which xerostomia is affecting quality of life. Patients rate each item on a scale from 0 to 10. Higher score denotes worse xerostomia. To analyze the XQ, scores on its 8 items will be summed for each subject at each time point to produce an overall XQ score whose values theoretically can range from 0 to 80; it will be treated as a continuous variable. Lower values indicate a more favorable outcome than higher values.

    Measured: Month 12 (i.e., 12 months (+/- 30 days) after baseline visit)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted12 Jun 2018
  2. Study start19 Jun 2018
  3. Primary completion9 Mar 2024
  4. Study completion1 Feb 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
23 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03552965
Sponsor's protocol ID
217585
Status last verified
Aug 2025
First submitted
7 May 2018
Last updated
2 Sep 2025
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Robust Radiotherapy planning and Margin-Based Radiotherapy planning in people with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck, run by University of Arkansas at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 30 May 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Grade of Xerostomia (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 10 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Sep 2025.

Free account

Keep searching with a free account

You’ve used your 3 free searches for this session. Log in or create a free AzTrials account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in