Stage I Oropharyngeal (p16-Negative) Carcinoma AJCC v8

This phase II trial compares the effectiveness of adding BMX-001 to usual symptom management versus usual symptom management alone for reducing oral mucositis in patients who are receiving chemoradiation for head and neck cancer. Oral mucositis (inflammation and mouth sores) is a common side effect of chemoradiation that can cause pain and difficulty swallowing. Usual management of these side effects typically consists of using mouth rinses and pain medications during treatment and for several weeks after completion of treatment. BMX-001 neutralizes harmful substances in the body, preventing damage to macromolecules such as DNA and minimizes free radical-related toxicity in normal tissues. Adding BMX-001 to usual symptom management may be more effective than usual symptom management alone at reducing oral mucositis in patients receiving chemoradiation for head and neck cancer.

This phase II trial examines the use of blood-based biomarkers is to help inform decision making for treatment and radiation therapy for patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) positive oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers. The standard treatments for head and neck cancers are radiation therapy with chemotherapy or surgery potentially followed by radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. Radiation therapy uses high energy rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Giving chemotherapy along with radiation may kill more tumor cells. However, the cancer can recur or can spread to other parts of the body and all treatments can be associated with side effects. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a blood-based biomarker, using the NavDx testing device, for head and neck cancers in order to see if it can help improve selection of the intensity of treatment in order to best balance the side effects of treatment with the goal of decreasing cancer recurrence. This test could aid in early detection of recurrence and salvage therapy.