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