Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx, larynx and oral cavity for whom definitive or postoperative chemoradiation is indicated * Patients who are cisplatin-unfit for chemotherapy, defined as: * ECOG 2 * Organ dysfunction ≥ 2 according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI CTC) Version 4.0, such as hearing loss or tinnitus or neurological diseases * Calculated creatinine clearance of ≤50ml/min * Impaired organ function or comorbidities that preclude the use of cisplatin, e.g.: left ventricular ejection fraction \< 50%, uncorrectable renal insufficiency with elevated creatinine despite creatinine clearance of 50ml/min due to increased body weight, uncontrolled hypertension * Poor nutritional status BMI \< 16kg/m² * Concomitant use of nephrotoxic drugs that cannot be discontinued or converted due to other illnesses. * Willingness of patients to provide blood, saliva and stool samples and consent to the preservation of all samples for study purposes * Age ≥ 18 years * Sufficient cognitive abilities of the patients to understand the purpose of the study and to consent to it Exclusion Criteria: * Distant metastases at the time of diagnosis and simultaneous second cancers, i.e. at the time of study inclusion * Malignancies in the last 5 years regardless of location (except basal cell carcinoma or cervical uteri) * Carcinomas in which no sample collection is possible or likely without compromising the pathological assessment * Persistent drug or medication abuse * Patients who are unwilling or unable to comply with the protocol and receive treatment * Patients who are unsuitable for participation in the study due to a language barrier