SENIOR-2DE

Radiotherapy
in later life.
People at
the heart.

The SENIOR-2 study follows older adults with head and neck cancer. Together, we aim to better understand how treatment can reflect their individual needs.

What does taking part mean?Explore the study
SENIOR-2
Study start8 October 2026
Study DRKS IDDRKS00041180
Across Germany37 study centres
Funded by German Cancer Aid

Better decisions begin with understanding.

How does radiotherapy affect older adults? Who may benefit from accompanying chemotherapy? And what matters most to patients themselves? SENIOR-2 explores these questions.

Quality of life, personal goals and treatment outcomes belong together.

For clinicians & researchers

Understand everyday treatment

Around 1,000 people aged 70 or older will be followed during their usual radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The study does not prescribe a specific treatment.

Learn what matters to people

Questionnaires capture quality of life, personal treatment goals and burdens. Experiences after treatment are also considered.

Build knowledge together

Medical, functional, psychosocial and health-economic data will help build the evidence base for more individualised treatment decisions. The study will also investigate the role of geriatric screening. In addition, it will analyse which patients benefit from accompanying systemic therapy.

What would the study mean for me?

SENIOR-2 is an observational study. Your treatment follows the usual clinical practice at your treating centre.

  1. Learn more and ask questions

    Speak to your treating team or contact the study leadership to find out about participating centres.

  2. Discuss participation

    The study is intended for people aged 70 or older with specified head and neck cancers. The study team checks eligibility and provides information before written consent.

  3. Follow treatment and experiences

    Treatment information and your questionnaire responses are collected during routine treatment and follow-up.

Common questions

Who can take part?

People aged 70 or older with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx who meet the specified treatment-related criteria. The study team checks all inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Will participation change my treatment?

The study does not prescribe study-specific therapeutic interventions. Treatment follows the usual clinical practice of the participating centre.

What additional procedures are involved?

The study-related procedures consist of patient questionnaires, for example on quality of life and personal treatment goals. Your study team will explain the detailed schedule.

How long is the follow-up?

Recruitment is planned over 24 months, with five years of follow-up for the last participant enrolled. The total planned study duration is seven years.

Can I enrol on this website?

Enrolment takes place through a participating study centre. This website does not collect patient or health data. Please do not send medical records via the general contact links.

For questions about your own treatment, please contact your treating team.

Connected across Germany.

SENIOR-2 connects 37 study centres across Germany. Leipzig has already been initiated; further centres will follow step by step.

Germany with federal state boundaries. All centres are also available through the location selector and list.
Participating centreInitiated study centreOctober 2026 · Positions shown at city level

A centre near you.

Hover over a point or tap it to see the hospital, department and address, with a direct link to the clinic website.

Green markers identify centres that have already been initiated. Participation is possible only after the respective centre has been initiated. Please contact study leadership for the current status.

Contact study leadership
37 locations as a list

Map data: BKG / geoBoundaries (dl-de/by-2-0, geometry simplified). City positions: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

Study team

An interdisciplinary team at Leipzig University Hospital coordinates the study. A scientific advisory board with patient representation contributes additional perspectives.

PD Dr. Alexander Rühle

PD Dr. med.
Alexander Rühle, MHBA

Principal investigator

Managing senior physician and Advanced Clinician Scientist (LeiCoT programme)
Department of Radiation Oncology

Prof. Dr. Dr. Nils H. Nicolay

Prof. Dr. Dr.
Nils H. Nicolay

Deputy principal investigator

Director
Department of Radiation Oncology, Leipzig University Hospital

Core team and study organisation

Dr Josephine Beier · Dr Maria Eschke · PD Dr Ina Patties

ZKS Leipzig: Dr Anett Schmiedeknecht (project management), Dr Oana Brosteanu (managing director), Dr Miroslav Bacak (biometrics), Kathrin Scheibe (data management), Marc Viehweg

Health economics: Jun.-Prof. Dr Dennis Häckl
Medical psychology: Prof. Dr Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf

Radiation oncology study office: PD Dr Clemens Seidel (medical lead), Nadja Talhi (lead study coordinator)

Scientific advisory board
  • Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Balermpas (Zürich)
  • Prof. Dr. Andreas Knopf (Freiburg)
  • Prof. Dr. Ulrich Wedding (Jena)
  • Dr. Justyna Rawluk (Freiburg)
  • Torsten Lange (Selbsthilfenetzwerk Kopf-Hals-M.U.N.D.-Krebs e. V.)

Funded by German Cancer Aid. Officially supported by the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO). Project management, data management and biometrics: ZKS Leipzig.

The study has started.

Here we share updates on the study launch, participating centres and recruitment progress.

The first patient has been enrolled

On 8 October 2026, the first patient was enrolled in SENIOR-2 in Leipzig. Further study centres will be initiated step by step.

Study start on 8 October 2026. Planned recruitment target: 1,000 participants.Study startTarget: 1,000Study start and planned recruitment target; not a continuous recruitment curve.
24 monthsplanned recruitment5 yearsfollow-up*

* For the last participant enrolled.

First patient enrolled in the study in Leipzig

SENIOR-2 has begun: the first patient was enrolled at Leipzig University Hospital on 8 October. Further centres will be initiated over the coming weeks.

SENIOR-2 prepares for its nationwide launch

The prospective observational study is planned to launch from October 2026 at more than 35 centres. The planned sample size is 1,000 participants.

Support from German Cancer Aid

German Cancer Aid funds SENIOR-2 with approximately €715,000. The focus is on strengthening the evidence base for care of older adults with head and neck cancer.

Building on evidence.

SENIOR-2 continues the work of the SENIOR consortium as a prospective, multicentre cohort study. These publications represent previous work by the consortium.

View study registration
Study synopsis for professionals
Design
Multicentre prospective longitudinal cohort study (observational study).
Primary endpoint
Overall survival.
Secondary endpoints
Include progression-free and cancer-specific survival, recurrence and metastases, quality of life, treatment priorities, decision regret, contraindications to cisplatin, severe toxicity, PEG dependency, frailty, care needs and cost-effectiveness.
Quality of life
EQ-5D-5L, EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HN43.
Study scope
1,000 participants, seven years in total, 24 months of recruitment and five years of follow-up for the last participant enrolled.
Eligibility overview
Age ≥ 70 years, HNSCC of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx, formal indication for primary or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and written informed consent. Additional criteria apply. Centres assess eligibility against the study protocol.

Outcome Prediction in Older Adults With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Chemoradiation.

Marschner SN et al. · JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery · 2026;152:36–46 · DOI: 10.1001/jamaoto.2025.3840 ↗

Predicting cisplatin tolerability in older adults with head and neck cancer – Insights for improved chemoradiation outcomes.

Rühle A et al. · Radiotherapy and Oncology · 2025;204:110697 · DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110697 ↗

A Multicenter Evaluation of Different Chemotherapy Regimens in Older Adults With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Definitive Chemoradiation.

Rühle A et al. · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics · 2024;118:1282–1293 · DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.10.025 ↗

Evaluation of Concomitant Systemic Treatment in Older Adults With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Definitive Radiotherapy.

Rühle A et al. · JAMA Network Open · 2023;6:e230090 · DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.0090 ↗

Every question is a good start.

Whether you are interested in taking part, have questions about the study or would like to discuss research: please get in touch.

Alexander.Ruehle@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
PD Dr. med. Alexander Rühle, MHBA
Department of Radiation Oncology
Universitätsklinikum Leipzig
Stephanstraße 9a · 04103 Leipzig · Germany

Please do not send health data or medical records to the general contact address.