Helping people with head and neck cancer start post-surgery radiation on time
Official title: A Type I Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial to Evaluate a Navigation-Based Multilevel Intervention to Decrease Delays Starting Adjuvant Therapy Among Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-11143127 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a patient navigation program to help people with head and neck cancer begin their recommended post-surgery radiation within six weeks of surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $690,864 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282165-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143127 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with head and neck cancer who have had surgery and are recommended to start postoperative radiation therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who did not have surgery, do not need adjuvant radiation, or receive care outside the participating cancer centers would not be eligible or likely to benefit from enrolling.
What this research studies
You would be part of one of four cancer centers taking turns starting a navigation program that coordinates care after surgery. The program, called ENDURE, uses navigators and changes team workflows to overcome patient-, team-, and system-level barriers to timely postoperative radiation. Researchers will enroll about 484 patients across the sites and compare timing of radiation before and after each site adopts the program using a stepped-wedge design. The team will also study how the program works and how it can be implemented in different hospitals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce delays to starting postoperative radiation and help improve survival and outcomes for people with head and neck cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier single-arm and pilot randomized work of ENDURE showed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary improvement in timely radiation, but a larger trial is needed to confirm results.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Graboyes, Evan Michael — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Graboyes, Evan Michael
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.