Grant received in 2024.

DCCC has funded 138,913 DKK to the project.

Every year, approximately 1,300 individuals in Denmark are diagnosed with cancer in the mouth, pharynx, and larynx. The primary treatment is radiotherapy, which can cause both acute and late side effects. A larger radiation volume increases the risk of severe side effects.

Since 2013, Denmark has utilized a 5 mm margin to cover microscopic disease. Research indicates that a 5 mm margin does not significantly affect the risk of local recurrence but does contribute to more long-term sequelae. This initiative aims to confirm this assumption by initiating a randomized trial comparing 0 mm vs. 5 mm margins. The hypothesis is that there will be the same disease control but fewer side effects.

DCCC provides funding for the development of this project as an investigator-driven randomized trial. Funds are allocated for buying out clinical work time to write protocols, consents, information materials, applications to bodies such as the VEK; and for organizing meetings with responsible partners (doctors, physicists, radiographers, radiotherapists, and nurses) at the 6 centers involved in the trial.

Multidisciplinary organisation
The project was initiated by the Department of Oncology at Odense University Hospital in collaboration with all other national head and neck cancer centers in Denmark (Aalborg, Aarhus, Næstved, Herlev, Rigshospitalet) on behalf of the multidisciplinary DAHANCA group.

Project stakeholder

Aarhus University Hospital

• Kenneth Jensen, Associate professor, clinical oncologist, The Danish Center for Particle Therapy
• Ulrik Vindelev Elstrøm, PhD, medical physicist, The Danish Center for Particle Therapy
• Anne Ivalu Holm, PhD, medical physicist, Department of oncology

Zealand University Hospital Næstved

• Mohammad Farhadi, clinical oncologist, Department of Oncology
• Eva Samsøe, PhD, Chief medical physicist, Department of Oncology

Herlev University Hospital

• Camilla Kjær Lønkvist, PhD, Clinical Oncologist, Department of Oncology
• Patrik Sibolt, PhD, medical physicist, Department of Oncology

Odense University Hospital

• Ruta Zukauskaite, PhD, Clinical Oncologist, Department of Oncology. Primary contact, e-mail: ruta.zukauskaite@rsyd.dk
• Jørgen Johansen, PhD, clinical oncologist, Department of Oncology

Aalborg University Hospital

• Maria Andersen, clinical oncologist, Department of Oncology
• Martin Skovmos Nielsen, PhD, medical physicist, Department of Oncology

Rigshospitalet

• Mogens Bernsdorf, PhD, clinical oncologist, Department of Clinical Oncology
• Bob Smulders, medical physicist Department of Clinical Oncology,

Participating DMCG

• Kristine Bjørndal, Odense University Hospital, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, surgeon, Chair of DAHANCA