The goal of this observational study is to learn about the prognostic value of circulation tumor emboli (CTM) in recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer patients and also the changes of tumor microenvironment by different treatment modalities and drugs. The main questions it aims to answer are:
1. Investigators plan to correlate circulating tumor cells (CTC), circulating tumor emboli (CTM), and the composition of NK cells in CTM with clinical outcomes and establish their association with patient prognosis. 2. Investigators plan to understand the composition of NK cells and the immune cell components within CTM, and correlate these findings with treatment efficacy.
Patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer will be included after informed consent and investigators will collect blood samples for analysis from them under the treatment provided by their primary care physicians.
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status score of 0-2.
>=20 years old.
had pathologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, oral cavity, hypopharynx, or larynx that was recurrent or metastatic and not curable by local therapy.
had at least one tumor lesion measurable per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1
Medical records during treatment unavailable
Could not cooperate with blood sampling
Without informed consent
National Taiwan University Hospital
Lead sponsor
National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch
Collaborator
National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch
Collaborator