Pilot Study to Evaluate Photoacoustic Imaging in Head and Neck Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed head and neck carcinoma which has not been treated with any first-line therapy and will be treated with radiotherapy
* Measurable disease by ultrasound, or MRI performed within 28 days prior to treatment
* Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status of 0 or 1
* Life expectancy of at least 6 months
* Adequate bone marrow, liver and renal function as assessed by the following laboratory requirements to be conducted within 7 days prior to dosing:

  1. hemoglobin \>90 mg/dL
  2. leukocytes \>3,000/mL
  3. absolute neutrophil count \>1,500/mL
  4. platelets \>100,000/mL
  5. total bilirubin within normal institutional limits
  6. AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) \<2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
  7. creatinine within normal institutional limits or creatinine clearance \>60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional upper limit of normal
* Subjects must give appropriate written informed consent prior to participation in the study;
* Subjects must be able and willing to comply with the safety procedures during the Scanning Period;

Exclusion Criteria:

* Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or major surgery within 4 weeks prior to registering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks prior to registration
* Receiving any other investigational agents
* Known brain metastases
* History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition
* Contraindications to radiotherapy such as but not limited to:

  1. previous radiotherapy to an involved area
  2. active collagen vascular disease
  3. genetic diseases associated with hyper-radiosensitivity
* Any clinically serious infections requiring systemic anti-bacterial, antifungal or antiviral therapy
* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection,
* Symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, and cardiac arrhythmia
* History of active ongoing seizure disorder
* Any condition that is unstable or could jeopardize the safety of the patient and their compliance in the study