NCT07264036Recruiting
Velopharyngeal Dysfunction in Head & Neck Cancer Patients, Pilot Study
Injectable Augmentation Outcomes in Post-Radiation Head and Neck Cancer Patients With Velopharyngeal Dysfunction
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 28 Apr 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Some head and neck cancer survivors develop velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), a problem with closure between the soft palate and throat that can cause nasal-sounding speech, food or liquid leaking into the nose, difficulty swallowing, and reduced quality of life. This study aims to better understand VPD in this population and to evaluate whether pharyngeal wall augmentation (plumping up the back wall of the throat) can improve speech and swallowing. Participants will undergo a multidisciplinary assessment including physical examination, flexible nasolaryngoscopy, speech recording and acoustic analysis, nasometry, clinical swallowing evaluation, and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Aim 1: Determine the prevalence, severity, and functional impact of VPD in head and neck cancer survivors. Aim 2: Assess the feasibility and usefulness of advanced diagnostic tools for VPD. The investigators hypothesize that high nasalance scores (\>1 SD above normal) will accurately predict VPD with at least 75% positive predictive value and will correlate with worse communication-related quality of life (CPIB). The investigators also hypothesize that participants with VPD will have more pharyngeal residue or nasal regurgitation on FEES, and that these findings will be associated with lower swallowing-related quality of life (SWAL-QOL). Aim 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of pharyngeal wall augmentation injections for improving speech intelligibility and swallowing function. The investigators expect that this treatment will lead to measurable changes in both objective assessments and patient-reported outcomes. The results will help improve diagnosis and management of VPD in head and neck cancer survivors.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 20 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 17 Nov 2025
- Start date
- 24 Mar 2026
- Primary completion date
- 1 Jan 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Vanessa Torrecillas
- Diseases
- Head and neck cancer
- NCT number
- NCT07264036
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 20
- From 24 Mar 2026 to the primary completion date, 1 Jan 2027
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Other illness
- Pre-existing or suspected non-cancer-related causes of velopharyngeal dysfunction Contraindications to pharyngeal wall augmentation Requirement for more intensive active cancer surveillance Planned future surgical or medical treatments to the pharynx that would interfere with participation
Who the study is looking for
- English-speaking adults (≥18 years) History of head and neck cancer treated with surgical resection, chemoradiation, or both Presence of perceptual hypernasality on clinical assessment
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Charlottesville | United States | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.