This clinical trial evaluates how decreasing the dose of radiation to the elective neck (areas of lymph nodes not directly involved in the cancer) impacts treatment outcomes in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy plays an important role in the treatment of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, but it also causes significant toxicities. Given the significant toxicities associated with treatment, and the excellent outcomes of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, researchers are attempting to identify methods to de-escalate treatment for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer in an effort to maintain excellent treatment outcomes while reducing the risk of toxicities. Reducing the dose of radiation therapy to the lymph nodes in the neck that aren't directly involved in the cancer may improve patient quality of life while still maintaining excellent rates of cure of disease.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To determine 2-year locoregional progression free survival (LRPFS). SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine 2-year progression free survival (PFS). II. To determine 2-year regional failure in the low-dose elective region. III. To determine 2-year overall survival (OS). IV. To determine physician-reported toxicities at 1, 3, 12-months as measured by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). V. To assess patient-reported toxicities at 1, 3, 12-months as measured by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Head \& Neck Radiotherapy Index (FACT-HN-Rad). OUTLINE: Patients receive standard dose radiation therapy to the tumor and reduced dose radiation therapy to the elective neck lymph nodes five days per week for a total of 35 fractions over 7 weeks. Patients also undergo computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and nasopharyngolaryngoscopy throughout the trial. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Undergo CT
Undergo nasopharyngolaryngoscopy
Undergo PET
Ancillary studies
Undergo radiation therapy
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, United States
2-year locoregional progression free survival
Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 will be used to assess tumor response. The 2-year progression free survival (PFS) estimate will be reported along with the confidence interval. Log-rank tests will be used to compare PFS across predefined subgroups. Cox proportional hazards models will be applied to assess the impact of covariates such as age, sex, baseline disease severity on PFS, when appropriate.
Time frame: From the beginning of radiation therapy to the first incidence of local recurrence, regional recurrence in the neck, or death, assessed at 2 years post-treatment
2-year PFS
Will be analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in survival distributions across patient subgroups will be evaluated using log-rank tests, and Cox models will be used to explore the effects of demographic and clinical variables on PFS.
Time frame: From the beginning of radiation therapy to the first incidence of local recurrence, regional recurrence in the neck, distant metastasis, or death, assessed at 2 years post-treatment
2-year regional failure in the low-dose elective neck region
Time frame: At 2 years post-treatment
2-year overall survival (OS)
Will be analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models may be used to explore differences in OS by covariates such as age, sex, and baseline disease severity when appropriate.
Time frame: From the beginning of radiation therapy to death from any cause, assessed at 2 years post-treatment
Incidence of physician-reported adverse events (AEs)
Will be measured by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Will generate adverse event summaries, which will include maximum grade, attribution, and frequency, based on the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. AEs will be graded as mild, moderate, severe, or life-threatening. All reported toxicities will be summarized by toxicity type and maximum grade, and sorted by the number of patients experiencing each toxicity. For each patient, the maximum grade of a given toxicity will be determined across all timepoints. AE data will be presented using categorical analyses and descriptive summary statistics. No formal statistical hypothesis testing will be performed.
Time frame: At 1, 3, and 12 months post-treatment
Incidence of patient-reported adverse events
Will be measured by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Head \& Neck Radiotherapy Index.
Time frame: At 1, 3, and 12 months post-treatment
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