PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To assess the prognostic value of pretreatment volumetric tumor growth velocity (TGV), weekly tumor kinetics (TK), and blood biomarkers of mucosal head and neck cancers during radiation therapy (RT), using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To assess functional imaging kinetics as a marker of tumor locoregional control.
II. To correlate blood biomarkers with tumor kinetics during treatment. III. To generate preliminary data for future trials.
OUTLINE:
Patients undergo MRI scans and collection of blood samples for biomarker testing pre-radiation therapy, weekly during radiation therapy, and at 2-3 months post-radiation therapy.
After completion of study, patients are followed up weekly.
