UC radiation oncologist speaks with Local 12 news about clinical trial for head and neck cancer treatment

Dr. Sara Medek, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the UC College of Medicine, is leading a clinical trial to reduce radiation in certain areas while effectively treating cancer  with fewer painful side effects.

Medek told Local 12 News for a story that for many people with head and neck cancer, treatment can be as punishing as the disease itself. She is leading a study that focuses on patients with tumors in the oropharynx, the back of the throat, whose cancers are driven by HPV, the human papillomavirus. 

Medek is a member of the UC Cancer Center and also a UC Health physician. Her clinical trial is designed to enroll around 30 patients.

“Radiation in the head and neck area has tons of side effects, unfortunately, from getting ulcers inside your mouth or in your throat, in painful areas so that you're not wanting to eat or drink or things like that. We have skin reactions,” Medek told Local 12 News.

HPV rarely has symptoms so it can go undetected. Symptoms of HPV-positive head and neck cancer may include a persistent sore throat.

“Often we'll see people who start to notice a lymph node that pops up on their neck, a lump or a bump,” adds Medek.

These cancers are typically treated with radiation, but Medek’s goal is to decrease the amount of radiation for areas near the tumor to reduce side effects.  She says the approach involves reducing the radiation dose in certain lymph node areas while still targeting the tumor.

Listen to the full Local 12 News interview online.

Learn more about Dr. Medek’s clinical trial online.

Featured top image of a medical patient provided by iStock.