The RESCUE Study: Survival and Functional Outcomes Following Salvage Surgery for RESidual or reCurrent sqUamous cEll Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

To be part of this study, you would need to be over 18 years old. You should have previously had head and neck cancer that was treated with radiotherapy (which might have also included chemotherapy).

The cancer being studied is a specific type called squamous cell carcinoma, which has either come back, wasn't fully removed, or is a new cancer in your mouth, throat, or voice box area.

There are also reasons why someone might not be able to join. For example, if your head and neck cancer is in certain areas like the nose or skin, or if it's a different type of cancer (not squamous cell carcinoma), you wouldn't be eligible. Also, if the cancer has spread to distant parts of your body or is too advanced for surgery, you wouldn't be able to participate.

If you decide to take part in the RESCUE study, your involvement would mainly revolve around the information gathered from your medical records related to your salvage surgery for head and neck cancer. This is because the study is looking at patient experiences and outcomes. If you consent to the 'molecular analysis' part, this would involve researchers studying a sample of your cancer tissue, likely taken during your surgery. There are no additional visits, medication, or specific procedures beyond your standard medical care for this study. The total duration of your participation would depend on how long the researchers track patient outcomes, but it wouldn't involve extra effort from you once your initial consent and data collection are done.