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RecruitingNCT03145077Updated Apr 16, 2026

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Diagnosing Osteoradionecrosis in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer That Is Primary, Has Come Back, or Has Spread to Other Places in the Body

An interventional study of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Questionnaire Administration in Head and Neck Cancer, sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-16.

Sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Diagnostic

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
1,400
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This trial studies how well dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) works in diagnosing osteoradionecrosis in patients with head and neck cancer that is primary, has come back, or has spread to other places in the body who are undergoing radiation therapy. DCE-MRI may help doctors to predict osteoradionecrosis in patient with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy.

Read the detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine whether DCE-MRI following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) can be used to reliably predict osteoradionecrosis (ORN).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Define dose-response relationships between DCE-MRI derived imaging biomarkers and subsequent development of ORN.

II. Evaluate the use of DCE-MRI parameters to monitor ORN response to treatment.

III. Assess the use of DCE-MRI parameters in preoperative planning in advanced ORN subjects.

IV. Develop MRI-based biomarkers inclusive predictive models for development of radiotherapy-attributable tissue injury within the field of radiation.

V. Determine the association of patient-related outcomes (PROs) to clinical and imaging findings of tissue damage, such as the onset of ORN.

OUTLINE: Patients are assigned to 1 of 4 cohorts.

COHORT 1: Patients with newly diagnosed tumors undergo DCE-MRI within 4 weeks prior to the first radiation fraction, within 3-5 weeks after radiation start, and at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post radiation. Patients who were previously irradiated and are at various stages of oncologic follow-up undergo DCE-MRI for a total of 2-5 times at baseline and at 6, 12, 24, 36, and/or 48 months post radiation. Patients in the third or subsequent years post treatment may undergo subsequent yearly imaging studies.

COHORT 2: Patients undergo DCE-MRI within 4 weeks prior to the first re-radiation fraction, within 3-5 weeks after radiation start, and at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post radiation.

COHORT 3: Patients undergo DCE-MRI before and at 2 and 6 months post ORN treatment. Patients may undergo DCE-MRI during the mid-ORN treatment.

COHORT 4: Patients undergo DCE-MRI within 4 weeks prior to and at 5-10 weeks and 12 months post surgery.

02

Conditions studied

  • Head and Neck Cancer

Keywords

  • Head and Neck Cancer
  • Osteoradionecrosis
  • ORN
  • Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
  • DCE-MRI
  • Questionnaires
  • Surveys
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Willing and able to provide informed consent
  • Patients must have histologic evidence of malignant neoplasm that may have been obtained from the primary tumor or metastatic lymph node
  • Receipt of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with curative intent, with or without concomitant chemotherapy
  • Good performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] score 0-2)
  • Willing to comply with all study procedures; and
  • Willing to participate for the duration of the study
  • COHORT 1 (LONGITUDINAL) GROUP 1 (PRE-RADIATION): Subjects who are currently undergoing or scheduled to undergo treatment with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy (induction or concurrent) with intent to eradicate the malignancy. Treatment will include the following: 1) primary or nodal disease adjacent to (within 2 cm) the mandible (i.e., likely to receive a dose of at least 50 Gy to some portion of the mandible volumes) and 2) > 60% probability of survival for 3 years after treatment
  • COHORT 1 (LONGITUDINAL) GROUP 2 (POST-RADIATION): Subjects who were previously treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy (induction or concurrent). Treatment will have included the following: 1) unilateral maximum mandible dose of >= 60 Gy and a gradient of dose across the mandible of >= 20 Gy, 2) oncological cure and now in disease surveillance; and 3) no clinically diagnosed ORN at the time of enrollment
  • COHORT 2 (ENRICHED): Subjects with recurrent and/or new head and neck cancer disease who will undergo re-irradiation to the head and neck with intent to eradicate the malignancy. Treatment will include the following: 1) any mandible dose of at least 50 Gy cumulative (initial and subsequent treatment); and 2) no clinically diagnosed ORN at the time of enrollment
  • COHORT 3 (EARLY ORN INTERVENTION): Subjects with clinically confirmed low-grade/early stage osteoradionecrosis requiring therapeutic (medical and/or dental surgery) intervention as diagnosed by a qualified clinician. Clinical staging of developing or existing ORN will be conducted using the CTCAE 4.0 (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events)
  • COHORT 4 (SURGICAL INTERVENTION FOR ADVANCED ORN): Subjects with clinically confirmed high grade/high stage osteoradionecrosis requiring surgical intervention. Clinical staging of ORN will be conducted using the CTCAE 4.0 (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to tolerate diffusion weighted (DW)-MRI or DCE-MRI
  • Having an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \< 60 ml/min/1.73 m\^2
  • Contraindication to MRI (e.g. non-MRI compatible metallic implants)
  • Pregnant females and cognitively impaired patients
  • Unable or unwilling to give written, informed consent to undergo MRI imaging
  • Claustrophobia
  • Unable to obtain imaging studies of adequate quality to assess imaging-based biomarkers
  • COHORT 1/GROUP 1: Previously treated with radiotherapy for a malignant neoplasm of the head and neck, excluding cutaneous lesions. Determination will be made by review of the radiation therapy plan and dosimetry map to evaluate mandible exposure to radiation
  • COHORT 1/GROUP 2: Previously treated with radiotherapy for a malignant neoplasm of the head and neck more than one time, excluding cutaneous lesions
04

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Diagnostic
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
1,400 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cohort 1 (DCE-MRI)

    Patients with newly diagnosed tumors undergo DCE-MRI within 4 weeks prior to the first radiation fraction, within 3-5 weeks after radiation start, and at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post radiation. Patients who were previously irradiated and are at various stages of oncologic follow-up undergo DCE-MRI for a total of 2-5 times at baseline and at 6, 12, 24, 36, and/or 48 months post radiation. Patients in the third or subsequent years post treatment may undergo subsequent yearly imaging studies.

    Procedure: Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Other: Questionnaire Administration

  • Experimental
    Cohort 2 (DCE-MRI)

    Patients undergo DCE-MRI within 4 weeks prior to the first re-radiation fraction, within 3-5 weeks after radiation start, and at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post radiation.

    Procedure: Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Other: Questionnaire Administration

  • Experimental
    Cohort 3 (DCE-MRI)

    Patients undergo DCE-MRI before and at 2 and 6 months post ORN treatment. Patients may undergo DCE-MRI during the mid-ORN treatment.

    Procedure: Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Other: Questionnaire Administration

  • Experimental
    Cohort 4 (DCE-MRI)

    Patients undergo DCE-MRI within 4 weeks prior to and at 5-10 weeks and 12 months post surgery.

    Procedure: Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Other: Questionnaire Administration

Interventions

  • ProcedureDynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    Undergo DCE-MRI

    Also known as: DCE MRI, DCE-MRI, DYNAMIC CONTRAST ENHANCED MRI

  • OtherQuestionnaire Administration

    Ancillary studies

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. DCE-MRI Derived Parameters Following External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) and Subsequent Development of Osteoradionecrosis (ORN)

    Spatiotemporal parameter maps extracted from patient DCE-MRI scans. Clinical staging of developing or existing ORN conducted according to the CTCAE 4.0.

    Time frame: 5 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Dose-Response Relationships Between DCE-MRI Derived Imaging Biomarkers and Subsequent Development of Osteoradionecrosis (ORN)

    Voxel-by-voxel correlation of delivered radiation dose to mandible and DCE-MRI parameter changes determined to establish a dose-biomarker response relationship.

    Time frame: 5 years

06

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • M D Anderson Cancer Center
    Houston, Texas 77030, United States
    • Stephen Y. Lai · Contact · sylai@mdanderson.org · 713-792-6920
    • Stephen Y. Lai · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Moreno A, Sahli AJ, Johnson F, Sun X, Barbon C, Rinsurongkawong W, Song W, Luciani FM, Liang H, Li J, Liu W, Lee JJ, Frank SJ, Lai S, Fuller C, Hutcheson K; P01 MD Anderson Oropharynx Cancer Program. Stiefel MD Anderson OroPharynx cancer (MDA-OPC) cohort: a single-institution, prospective longitudinal outcomes study. BMJ Open. 2025 Nov 24;15(11):e106845. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-106845. PubMed 41290309 ↗
08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03145077
Lead sponsor
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Collaborators
National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 9, 2017
Start date
Mar 21, 2017
Primary completion
May 31, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
May 31, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 16, 2026

Study contacts

Stephen> Lai
Contact
sylai@mdanderson.org
713-792-6920
Stephen Lai
principal investigator · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
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