Pre-Op MRI on Margin Status for Transoral Robotic Surgery for HPV+ Tonsillar Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Launched by CASE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER · Jul 1, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is looking at whether a special type of MRI scan done before surgery can help doctors understand how much cancer is near the edges of the tissue removed during a specific surgery called transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for tonsil cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The MRI will focus on the muscles around the tonsils to see if the images can predict whether the surgeon will remove all the cancer with clear margins, which means no cancer cells are left at the edges, or if the margins might be close or positive, meaning some cancer cells could remain.

Adults aged 18 and older who are planning to have this surgery for HPV-related tonsil cancer may be eligible to join the study. If you join, you will have an MRI scan before your surgery with some extra detailed images of the tonsil area. Three expert radiologists will review the images to grade the muscle thickness around your tonsils. This information may help doctors better understand the surgery results and improve future treatment plans. The study is not yet recruiting, and some people, such as those who cannot have an MRI or cannot give consent, will not be able to participate.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Adults ≥ 18 years of age.
• • 2. Participants being considered for TORS for HPV+ tonsillar SCC.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Participants \< 18 years of age.
• • 2. Participants who cannot provide informed consent.
• • 3. Participants who do not wish to participate.
• • 4. Vulnerable populations, including but not limited to cognitively impaired persons, pregnant women, and students or house staff under the direct supervision of the investigator.
• • 5. Participants in whom MRI is contraindicated.