De-Intensification of Postoperative Radiotherapy in Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Exclusion Criteria

• •1. macroscopic incomplete resection R2
• •2. Distant metastases (cM1)
• •3. Radiologically or histologically proven early recurrence after surgery (time frame from surgery to start of radio(chemo)therapy)
• •4. Lymph node metastases in \> 3 lymph node level
• •5. pregnant or lactating/nursing women
• •6. fertile patients that are not willing to use highly effective methods of contraception (per institutional standards) during treatment
• •7. Any condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule
• •8. On-treatment participation on other clinical therapeutic trials
• •9. Prior tumor-specific therapy any other than surgery (like prior radiotherapy in the head and neck region, prior chemo- or immunotherapy (neoadjuvant/induction))
• •10. Patients who have contraindication for MRI and CT with contrast agent (both)
• •11. Prior (\> 2 months before beginning of radio(chemo)therapy) neck dissection or surgery in the head and neck area affecting lymph drainage
• •12. History of another primary malignancy except for malignancy treated with curative intent and with no known active disease ≥5 years before diagnosis of head and neck cancer, adequately treated non-melanoma skin cancer or lentigo maligna without evidence of disease, adequately treated carcinoma in situ without evidence of disease