Prediction of Outcome After Chemoradiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer Using Functional Imaging and Tumor Biology

Functional MRI on day 22 of the chemoradiotherapy treatment. Parameters of these images will be later on correlated with outcome.

Tumour biopsies will be obtained as part of the staging procedure (standard). On this biopsies we will conduct a hypoxia gene expression profile (15 genes on PCR that can be analyzed individually or as a group through one binary variable). Hypoxia will be a parameter in our prognostic/predictive model.

As part of the standard staging procedure all patients will undergo an MRI of the neck. We will however also take DWI and DCE images at this time point. Parameters of these images will be later on correlated with outcome.