An Investigational Scan (hpMRI) for Monitoring Treatment Response in Patients With Thyroid Cancer and Other Malignancies of the Head and Neck Undergoing Radiation Therapy and/or Systemic Therapy

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To obtain pilot metabolic imaging data from hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging (hpMRI) methods in patients with thyroid tumors or other malignancies of the head and neck receiving radiation therapy (XRT) and/or systemic therapy (e.g., target therapy, checkpoint inhibitors). SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: I. To assess early metabolic changes in response to nonsurgical therapy, including standard-of-care fractionated XRT and/or systemic therapy. OUTLINE: Participants are assigned to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Healthy volunteers undergo MRI over 30 minutes. ARM II: Patients with thyroid cancer and other malignancies of the head and neck undergo hpMRI over 30 minutes at baseline, and at 1 week after the initiation of treatment. During the scan, patients also receive hyperpolarized 13-C-pyruvate intravenously (IV) over 30 seconds and may receive a standard MRI contrast agent at the discretion of the treating physician. After completion of study intervention, thyroid cancer and other malignancies of the head and neck patients are followed up at 1 day.