Head and Neck Neoplasms
Conditions
Keywords
cell proliferation, PET, radiotherapy
Brief summary
Tumor cell proliferation and repopulation contribute to resistance to radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. Up to now, this characteristic is mostly assessed using biopsies acquired during inspection under general anaesthesia before treatment. 18F-FLT-PET (positron emission tomography) is a non-invasive imaging method showing areas of active proliferation. The aim of this study is to assess the value of the functional information gained by 18F-FLT-PET for radiotherapy planning and early tumor response assessment. Prior to radiotherapy, a planning CT-scan and a 18F-FLT-PET scan are acquired. After approximately two weeks of radiotherapy a further PET scan is obtained.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Radboud University Medical Center
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Stage II - IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head-and-neck region, treated with radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy with curative intent. 2. 18 years or older 3. Informed consent
Exclusion criteria
1. Patients who have undergone surgery as primary tumor therapy. 2. Patients treated with palliative intent. 3. Pregnancy
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Correlation of 18F-FLT-PET-signal changes before and during therapy with treatment outcome (clinical response and local tumor control) | 1 year |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Evaluation of the value of the functional information gained by 18F-FLT-PET regarding the definition of the planning target volume (PTV) for radiotherapy. | 2 months |
| Measurement of 18F-FLT-PET-signal changes during radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy. | 2 months |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed