This clinical trial tests the effect of induction chemotherapy response-guided radiation (de-escalated intensity-modulated radiation therapy \[IMRT\]) compared to standard IMRT in patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal cancer. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced form of 3-dimensional radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images to show the size and shape of the tumor. Thin beams of radiation of different intensities are aimed at the tumor from many angles. This type of radiation therapy reduces the damage to healthy tissue near the tumor. Radiation therapy sometimes causes unwanted symptoms or side effects, including late effects such as hearing loss and dental problems. The severity of the side effects is related to the radiation dose received and the amount of tissue that received radiation. De-escalation IMRT uses lower doses of radiation based on a good response to induction chemotherapy. Giving de-escalated IMRT may be as effective as standard doses of IMRT in treating patients with EBV-associated nasopharyngeal cancer.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To measure the proportion of participants alive without progression of disease two years following induction therapy (IT) response-guided IMRT. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess the 1-year rate of progression-free survival (PFS) after IT response-guided IMRT. II. To assess the 1- and 2-year cumulative incidence of locoregional recurrence (LRR) after IT response-guided IMRT. III. To assess the 1- and 2-year cumulative incidence of distant metastasis (DM) after IT response-guided IMRT. IV. To assess the 1- and 2-year rates of overall survival (OS) after IT response-guided IMRT. V. To compare the rates of severe acute toxicities between standard and de-escalated IMRT. VI. To compare the rates of severe late toxicities between standard and response-guided IMRT over a period of 2 years. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare the frequency of radiation treatment breaks between standard and de-escalated IMRT. II. To compare the frequency of hospitalizations between standard and de-escalated IMRT. III. To compare pre-treatment and short- and long-term post-treatment quality of life (QoL) after standard versus de-escalated IMRT. IV. To compare pre-treatment and short- and long-term post-treatment levels of fatigue after standard versus de-escalated IMRT. V. To compare radiation dosimetric parameters between standard and de-escalated IMRT. VI. To explore differences in efficacy endpoints by sex, age, English language status, and race/ethnicity. VII. To explore heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTEs) of efficacy endpoints by variables, such as sex, age, English language status, and race/ethnicity. VIII. To explore the association between EBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) levels and disease response on imaging upon completion of IT. IX. To explore longitudinal EBV DNA levels after completion of IT response-guided IMRT. X. To compare the rates of severe very late toxicities (from years 2 to 10 after completion of IMRT) between standard and response-guided IMRT. XI. To explore the association between adjuvant (post-chemoradiation) systemic therapy use and oncologic outcomes (PFS, locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis, and overall survival), quality of life, and fatigue. XII. To assess frequency of intra-treatment tumor hypoxia in participants undergoing standard and de-escalated radiotherapy. XII. To explore the association between the presence of intra-treatment tumor hypoxia and baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. XIV. To explore the association between the presence of intra-treatment tumor hypoxia and oncologic outcomes, toxicity, quality of life, and fatigue. XV. To evaluate the relationship between intra-treatment tumor hypoxia and pre-treatment EBV DNA levels. XVI. To evaluate the relationship between intra-treatment tumor hypoxia and end-of-treatment EBV DNA levels. OUTLINE: Patients with partial radiographic response to IT in the primary tumor and lymph nodes are assigned to Arm I. Patients with stable or progressive disease are assigned to Arm II. ARM I (DE-ESCALATED INTENSITY): Patients undergo de-escalated IMRT once daily (QD) 5 days a week for up to 7 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), PET/CT, CT, and/or bone scans throughout the trial ARM II (STANDARD): Patients undergo standard IMRT QD on 5 days a week for up to 7 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo CT/MRI, PET, PET/CT, CT, and/or bone scans throughout the trial. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 3 months then every 6 months for up to 10 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
66
Undergo IMRT
Undergo imaging procedure
Blood samples will be collected
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
RECRUITINGProgression-Free Survival Rate (PFS) at 2 years post radiation
PFS is defined as the proportion of participants alive without progression of disease from the first day of radiotherapy to progression or death by any cause, whichever occurs first, assessed up to 2 years after the last day of radiation therapy. The Kaplan-Meier method will be used to estimate the PFS rate along with a 90% confidence interval.
Time frame: Up to 26 months
Progression-Free Survival Rate (PFS) at 1 year post radiation
PFS is defined as the proportion of participants alive without progression of disease from the first day of radiotherapy to progression or death by any cause, whichever occurs first, assessed up to 1 year after the last day of radiation therapy. The Kaplan-Meier method will be used to estimate the PFS rate along with a 90% confidence interval.
Time frame: Up to 14 months
Locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) at 1 year post radiation
LRR will be estimated using cumulative incidence from the first day of radiation to 1 year after the last day of radiation.
Time frame: Up to 14 months
Locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) at 2 years post radiation
LRR will be estimated using cumulative incidence from the first day of radiation to 2 years after the last day of radiation.
Time frame: Up to 26 months
Incidence of Distant metastasis (DM) at 1 year post radiation
DM will be estimated using cumulative incidence from the first day of radiation to 1 year after the last day of radiation.
Time frame: Up to 14 months
Incidence of Distant metastasis (DM) at 2 years post radiation
DM will be estimated using cumulative incidence from the first day of radiation to 2 years after the last day of radiation.
Time frame: Up to 26 months
Median Overall Survival (OS) at 1 year post radiation
Kaplan-Meier will be used to estimate OS
Time frame: Up to 14 months
Median Overall Survival (OS) at 2 years post radiation
Kaplan-Meier will be used to estimate OS
Time frame: Up to 26 months
Overall Proportion of patients with grade ≥ 3 adverse events (AEs)
Adverse Events will be reported from the start of radiation until 3 months after completion of radiation and will be graded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version (v) 5.0. The percent of participants will be reported overall.
Time frame: Up to 5 months
Proportion of patients with acute grade ≥ 3 adverse events (AEs) by group
Any adverse events from the start of radiation until 3 months after completion of radiation with a grade 3 or higher as determined by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version (v) 5.0 will be reported as a percentage of the total participants for each treatment group.
Time frame: Up to 5 months
Proportion of patients with late onset grade ≥ 3 AEs by group post radiation
Any adverse events from 3 months after completion radiation until 2 years after completion of radiation, with a grade 3 or higher as determined by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version (v) 5.0 will be reported as a percentage of the total participants for each treatment group.
Time frame: Up to 21 months
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