Clinical trials

EGFR gene mutations are some of the most commonly occurring mutations in non-small cell lung cancer. Investigators have developed a DNA instability model that estimates a risk score to assess the likelihood of an individual acquiring a cancer-linked mutation. The aim of this study is to collect blood from both those diagnosed with EGFR positive lung cancer and healthy individuals, evaluate their gene sequence surrounding the EGFR landscape and use the cancer positive and healthy sequences to validate the risk assessment model, which may one day be used to provide insight on susceptibility of getting EGFR positive lung cancer or potentially other cancer types.

The goals of this clinical trial are to learn 1. Determine the feasibility of a home-based exercise analog therapy using Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), 2. Determine the effects of exercise analog therapy on muscle mass, strength, and clinical outcomes, and 3. Determine the effects of exercise analog therapy on immune phenotype and inflammation response in patients undergoing radiation for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The main question it aims to answer are: Does an exercise regimen using an analog TENS unit during the course of cancer treatment for those with HNSCC improve muscle mass, strength, clinical outcomes and immune response compared to those that do not perform the exercise regimen during their cancer treatment? Researchers will compare outcomes of patients undergoing cancer treatment + TENS unit exercise to those being treated for their cancer with no exercise TENS unit. In the exercise arm, subjects will use the TENS unit for 30 minutes of exercise a day, 3 times a week for the extent of their cancer treatments. Weekly check-ins by phone or less frequently at scheduled in person visits. Participants will keep a log of their exercise sessions to make sure that the exercise occurs 3 times a week for 30 minutes each and note any reasons why a session may have been missed or time shortened. Both arms will have a blood draw at the beginning of their cancer treatment and approximately 4 weeks after the last cancer treatment (\~40mL). These samples will be tested for molecules that signal a higher or lower immune response with the addition of the exercise in one group compared to the cancer therapy only group.