The primary purpose of this study is to determine the safe reduction of the treatment fractions to 10, 8, or 5, that may be delivered safely in resected head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with intermediate pathologic risk features.
RATIONALE: Postoperative hypofractionated radiation is well established in many malignancies, yielding benefits in compliance, access to care, convenience, and cost savings. In several solid tumor types, short-course high dose-per-fraction (hypofractionated) post-operative radiation has shown excellent tolerability, reduced healthcare costs, improved compliance, and at least equivalent cancer control compared to conventional post-operative radiation (long course, low dose-per-fraction).(1-3) Despite advances in other malignancies, hypofractionated post-operative radiation is not used in previously untreated mucosal HNSCCs, for which an extended course of conventional post-operative radiation (usually 60 Gy in 2 Gy fractions delivered over six weeks) remains the standard. Hypofractionation has been stymied in the post-operative setting for HNSCCs primarily due to concerns of toxicity in treating a large mucosal field and an inability to spare critical structures such as the brain and spinal cord. These concerns were well-founded in the 1970s during the era of 2-dimensional radiotherapy when conventional HNSCC radiotherapy regimens were developed.(4) But because radiotherapy can be delivered far more precisely using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), it is hypothesized that post-operative radiation for HNSCCs can now be delivered safely in only five fractions delivered over one week.(3, 5, 6)
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
18
Radiation Therapy: Dose per fraction of 4.2 Gy.
Radiation Therapy: Dose per fraction of 4.875 Gy.
Radiation Therapy: Dose per fraction of 6.5 Gy.
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Maximum-tolerated Radiation Dose
This will be determined as the radiation dose with the minimum number of fractions at which there is no more than a 33% rate of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) up to 12 months after completion of radiation treatment using the TITE-CRM design.
Time frame: 12 months
Incidence of Dose-Limiting Toxicities
This measure is the number of subjects experiencing a dose-limiting toxicity. A dose-limiting toxicity is defined as an inability to complete radiation treatment within 30 days of the start of radiotherapy that is not deemed to be related to disease progression; OR an unacceptable toxicity within one year of treatment (Grade 4+ toxicity) that is probably or definitely related to radiation treatment as determined by the treating physician or a death within one year of treatment that is probably or definitely related to treatment.
Time frame: 12 months
Overall Survival
This measure is the number of subjects alive at one year following the conclusion of scheduled radiation therapy.
Time frame: One year
Locoregional Progression
This measure is the number of subjects showing disease progression in the head and neck by response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) criteria.
Time frame: One year
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