MedTrace Logo

A Comprehensive Approach to Head and Neck Cancer Prehabilitation

NCT04617678 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 80

Last updated 2026-01-16

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Head and neck cancer accounts for 3% of malignancies in the United States. However, the diagnosis and treatment for head and neck cancer is considered to be debilitating. Not because of its morbidity, but due to the extremely rigorous treatment course which has a profound impact on patients physical, social, and emotional functioning. Disfigurement and sensorimotor deficits further compound this impact. Head and neck cancer patients contend with treatments that can significantly affect their quality of life. Treatment regularly results in decreased functional capacity and decreased quality of life. Physical impairments are manifested through, but not limited to, disfigurement, deconditioning, communication issues, "swallowing, speech, breathing, and cancer-related fatigue". Premorbid factors such as preexisting anxiety and depression, chemical dependency, financial barriers, and lack of social support system are unique obstacles to the head and neck cancer population impacting treatment and outcomes. Due to these factors, patients experience higher rates of anxiety and depression, psychological distress, and fear of cancer recurrence. In fact, "compared with other survivors of cancer, head and neck cancer survivors are almost 2 times more likely to die from suicide". In view of the aforementioned research, Roger Maris Cancer Center's head and neck cancer will implement a prehabilitation program that evaluates each patient using standardized screening tools and provide personalized education and interventions. This project evaluates a more comprehensive and proactive multidisciplinary approach to improve treatment and outcomes in head and neck cancer patients.

Conditions

  • Cancer of Head and Neck

Interventions

OTHER

Prehabilitation Program

We will assess whether prehabilitation intervention helps mitigate adverse symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidality, distress, nutritional status, dysphagia, sarcopenia, and well-being) on a sample of head and neck cancer patients. Subjects will attend a Prepare for Surgery Heal Faster session and meet with a physical therapist, registered dietician, speech language pathologist, and masters of social work at pre-treatment, 6-8 weeks post-treatment, and 5-6 months post-treatment completion.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of North Dakota

    collaborator OTHER

  • Sanford Health

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Cheryl Hysjulien, PsyD · Sanford Health

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-10-21
Primary Completion
2025-12-05
Completion
2026-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04617678 on ClinicalTrials.gov