What this Trial Is About

Radiotherapy-Induced Oropharyngeal Mucositis (RIOM) is a common and distressing side effect for patients with head and neck tumors undergoing radiotherapy. This condition requires careful management based on mucositis severity to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Traditional diagnosis methods rely heavily on subjective assessments and lack early sensitivity, while current biomarker tests can be invasive, inconsistent, and less effective. The study aims to investigate how analyzing exhaled breath, specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can help diagnose and predict RIOM in these patients. Patients with head and neck tumors receiving radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy will have their exhaled breath collected and analyzed using breath detection technology. The goal is to identify specific VOCs that could serve as non-invasive biomarkers. This will help develop and validate a diagnostic and predictive model based on breathomics, potentially allowing for earlier diagnosis and more personalized treatment of RIOM. Participants will be monitored throughout their radiotherapy treatment and followed for up to one year to assess different grades of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis. The study will involve collecting breath samples, evaluating mucositis severity, and recording clinical data. Researchers will measure outcomes related to the presence and progression of mucositis, aiming to improve early detection and management of this side effect through the breathomics approach.

Breathomics in the Diagnosis and Prediction of Radiotherapy-Induced Oropharyngeal Mucositis in Head and Neck Tumors