Observational Study on Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancer (HNprädBio)

Inclusion Criteria: Primary radiochemotherapy: * Patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx or hypopharynx * Stage III or IV without distant metastases * Patient is able to participate in regular tumor follow-up care * planned irradiation dose 69-72 Gy * planned overall treatment time 38-54 days * written informed consent of the patient * general condition according to WHO 0-2 * planned simultaneous chemotherapy with cisplatin (cumulative planned total dose minimum 180 mg/m2 body surface, divided in several separately doses) Adjuvant radiochemotherapy: * Patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx or hypopharynx * surgery, existence of one or more of the following risk factors for local recurrence: * extracapsular growth of a minimum of one lymph node metastasis * R1 resection * pT4 tumor and more than 3 affected lymph nodes * Patient is able to participate in regular tumor follow-up care * planned irradiation dose 63-66 Gy * planned overall treatment time 44-48 days * planned simultaneous chemotherapy with cisplatin (cumulative planned total dose minimum 200 mg/m2 body surface, divided in several separately doses) * written informed consent of the patient * general condition according to WHO 0-2 * time since last surgery \<56 days (8 weeks) Exclusion Criteria: Primary radiochemotherapy: * distant metastasis * contraindication against a cisplatin-based chemotherapy * planned total irradiation dose \<69 Gy and \>72 Gy * planned overall treatment time \>54 days or \<38 days * Patient is incapable of giving consent * previous radiotherapy in the head and neck area, if there is a risk for overlapping of the irradiation areas * other tumor diseases, which currently need a treatment or probably within the next two years or which influence the prognosis of the patient * tumor-independent diseases or conditions which reduce the survival probability of the patient to \<2 years or which affect the follow-up over 2 years * no written informed consent * induction chemotherapy * pregnancy or lactation Adjuvant radiochemotherapy: * distant metastasis * contraindication against a cisplatin-based chemotherapy * planned total irradiation dose \< 63 Gy or \> 66 Gy * planned overall treatment time \> 48 days or \< 44 day * Patient is incapable of giving consent * previous radiotherapy in the head and neck area, if there is a risk for overlapping of the irradiation areas * other tumor diseases, which currently need a treatment or probably within the next two years or which influence the prognosis of the patient * tumor-independent diseases or conditions which reduce the survival probability of the patient to \<2 years or which affect the follow-up over 2 years * no written informed consent * pregnancy or lactation