MicroRNA Markers in Head and Neck Cancers

University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

Treatments: Other: Tissue collection

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04305366

P30CA046934 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

12-1328.cc

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of miRNA markers in saliva, blood, FNA and tissue specimens in patients with and without head and neck cancer and evaluate whether these miRNA markers can provide prognostic or diagnostic clinical significance in the treatment of head and neck cancer patients.

Full description

Micro RNA (miRNA) markers were initially discovered in 1993 and recent research has shown that they have great potential for use as both surveillance and prognostic markers in cancer treatment, as well as potential targets for cancer therapy. Recent research has identified several miRNA markers which appear to be potential markers for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and these have been tested in both mouse and human banked tumor samples. These investigators hypothesize that these markers may also be present in other tissues, including fine needle aspiration biopsy, blood, and saliva specimens, and will be sensitive and specific to patients with known head and neck cancer.

Enrollment: 225 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 100 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Subjects between the ages of 18 and 100
2. Patients who are seen and evaluated by a provider within the adult ENT clinic at University of Colorado Hospital
3. Patients that present with a current or past diagnosis of head and neck cancer -OR-Patients undergoing tonsillectomy or sleep surgery as standard of care (control group)

Exclusion criteria

1. Under the age of 18 or over the age of 100
2. Unwilling to participate

Trial design

225 participants in 1 patient group

Head and Neck Cancers

Description:

This study will target patients with a diagnosis squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck. In addition, this study will also target patients undergoing tonsillectomy or sleep surgery as the control group. This study will aim to enroll an equal number of patients into both the study group and control group. However, this will be dependent on patient encounters within the adult ENT clinic.

Treatment:

Other: Tissue collection