Interdisciplinary Interventions to Address Pain Management Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients

April 28, 2026 updated by: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Opioid-Sparing Interdisciplinary Interventions Addressing Pain in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

This phase II trial compares different pain management interventions (standard of care [SOC], neurofeedback [NFB] training, and compassionate high alert team [CHAT]) in patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer who are at risk of developing non-medical opioid use (NMOU). The current standard treatment includes regular clinic visits and supportive care and counseling (including topics like patient-doctor communication, cancer care goals, financial issues counseling, and other topics). NFB training is a type of therapy that uses an electroencephalograph (EEG) and a computer software program to measure brain wave activity. The goal of NFB is to help teach patients with pain how to change their own brain waves to lower their feelings of pain and help improve their quality of life. CHAT is a supportive care intervention that includes symptom and pain management, counseling (about pain, symptoms, opioid use and safety, stress, and quality of life), and support for patients and their family members. NFB and CHAT may help to manage pain and lower patient use of opioids.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To test the hypothesis that this study will be feasible, as defined by adequate rates of adherence in the CHAT and NFB groups.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To examine the frequency of NMOU behaviors at the end of 3 months after CHAT, NFB, and SOC.

II. Examine the pain severity (area under the curve [AUC]), daily opioid use AUC of the cumulative morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD), and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) for each of the treatment arms (CHAT, NFB, or SOC) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients receiving radiation therapy at the end of 3 months.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE:

I. To examine the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain associated with pain and our interventions (CHAT, NFB, and SOC) and the extent to which changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns mediate the effects of the intervention.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized into 1 of 3 arms.

ARM I: Patients participate in CHAT counseling intervention over 45-60 minutes twice a month for up to 12 weeks.

ARM II: Patients undergo NFB intervention over 20-30 minutes twice a week for up to 10 weeks.

ARM III: Patients receive 2-3 standard of care sessions per month over 45-60 minutes for up to 12 weeks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
28

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • M D Anderson Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of HNC, with patient scheduled to receive radiation therapy, with or without evidence of active disease
  • Willingness to be seen in the outpatient supportive care center (SCC)
  • History of use of non-medical opioid use (Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain [SOAPP] >= 7+ and/or Cut Down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye opener questionnaire [CAGE] >= 2+)
  • Physician-estimated prognosis of at least 12 months
  • Age 18 or older
  • Able to complete study assessments
  • Willing to sign written informed consent
  • Both human papillomavirus (HPV) and non-HPV patients will be included
  • Patients currently receiving opioids for at least 1 week
  • Able to read, write and speak English

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individual with clinically evident impaired cognition by Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) score of >= 13
  • Employees of MD Anderson Cancer Center

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: ARM I (CHAT)
Patients participate in CHAT counseling intervention over 45-60 minutes twice a month for up to 12 weeks.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Other: Counseling
Participate in CHAT counseling intervention
Other Names:
  • Counseling Intervention
Experimental: ARM II (NFB)
Patients undergo NFB intervention over 20-30 minutes twice a week for up to 10 weeks.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Procedure: Electroencephalography
Undergo EEG
Other Names:
  • EEG
  • electroencephalogram
Behavioral: Neurofeedback
Undergo NFB intervention
Other Names:
  • EEG biofeedback
Active Comparator: ARM III (SOC)
Patients receive 2-3 standard of care sessions per month over 45-60 minutes for up to 12 weeks.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Other: Best Practice
Receive SOC
Other Names:
  • standard of care
  • standard therapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Frequency of non-medical opioid use (NMOU) behaviors
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of a year.
Composite NMOU score is calculated by summing the number of times each behavior suggestive of NMOU is recorded.
through study completion, an average of a year.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Sriram Yennu, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 8, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 22, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 30, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 13, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 28, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2021-0337 (Other Identifier: M D Anderson Cancer Center)
  • NCI-2021-09426 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Head and Neck Carcinoma

Clinical Trials on Questionnaire Administration

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings