Post-operative Radiation With Cetuximab for Locally Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Phase 2CompletedNCT01979211

University of Cincinnati24 enrolled

Overview

The standard treatment of surgery followed by radiation therapy can stop tumors from growing in the head and neck region in most patients. However, the cancer can recur or can spread to other parts of the body. Cetuximab is a drug that may delay or prevent tumor growth by blocking certain cellular chemical pathways that lead to tumor development. It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 for the treatment of head and neck cancer. The purpose of this study is to determine how easily cetuximab can be added to treatment with radiation therapy in patients with cutaneous cancer of the head and neck. This study will also look at how well cetuximab added to radiation therapy works over time and how well this treatment is tolerated.

This is a Phase II trial to characterize the feasibility of treating patients with locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck with post-operative radiotherapy and cetuximab. Cetuximab has previously been given safely in conjunction with head and neck radiotherapy for mucosal squamous cell carcinoma in multiple phase III trials, and so Phase I data is not necessary here.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Head and Neck Cancer

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Pathologically (histologically) proven diagnosis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck * Clinical stage \>/= T3 or \>/= N1, M0 including no distant metastases * Gross total resection of the primary tumor with curative intent must be completed within 7 weeks of registration * Performance status of 0-1 within 2 weeks prior to registration * Age \>/= 18 * Adequate labs within 2 weeks prior to registration Exclusion Criteria: * Prior invasive malignancy unless disease free for a minimum of 3 years; noninvasive cancers (For example, carcinoma in situ of the breast, oral cavity, or cervix are all permissible) are permitted even if diagnosed and treated \< 3 years ago. Patients with a history of T1-2, N0, M0 resected differentiated thyroid carcinoma are considered eligible. * Prior systemic chemotherapy or anti-epidermal growth factor therapy for the study cancer or for a different prior cancer * Prior radiotherapy to the region of the study cancer that would result in overlap of radiation therapy fields

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Percentage of Participants With Local Regional Control

The primary endpoint of this study was 2-year locoregional control (LRC), defined as no evidence of recurrent cancer in the tumor bed and/or neck as assessed via clinical exam and imaging. Locoregional control was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The Kaplan-Meier method is a statistical method used to assess survival times while factoring for censored observations (those who had LRC) and the time for them to be censored.

Time frame: 2 years

Secondary Outcomes

Percentage of Participants With Disease-free Survival

The primary endpoint of this study was 2-year disease-free survival (DFS), which was the absence of locoregional recurrence or metastatic disease (biopsied when possible). DFS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The Kaplan-Meier method is a statistical method used to assess survival times while factoring for censored observations (those who were alive disease-free) and the time for them to be censored.

Time frame: 2 years

Percentage of Participants With Overall Survival

The primary endpoint of this study was 5-year overall survival (OS), defined as the absence of death from any cause during those respective time periods. OS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The Kaplan-Meier method is a statistical method used to assess survival times while factoring for censored observations (those who were alive) and the time for them to be censored.

Time frame: 5 years