Study of De_Intensified Postoperative Radiation Therapy for HPV Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer
• Interventions: Radiation: Radiation therapy

• Registration Number: NCT03875716
• Lead Sponsor: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Brief Summary

This research study is studying lowering the standard dose of radiation and chemotherapy after surgery, to minimize the side effects and improve the quality of life.

Detailed Description

This research study is being done to study if less intensive treatments can be used after surgery for head and neck cancers that are due to the human papilloma virus (HPV). In general, these cancers have better cure rates than other types of head and neck cancers. Therefore, the investigators are studying whether we can safely reduce the amount of treatment after surgery, such as surveillance (instead of using radiation) or less radiation or less chemotherapy, while maintaining good cure rates. The investigators hope that by reducing the intensity of treatment, this will lead to less side effects during and after cancer treatment.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2019-03-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-03-13
• Study First Posted: 2019-03-15
• Study Start: 2019-05-20
• Status Verified: 2025-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-02-17
• Last Update Posted: 2025-02-19
• Primary Completion: 2026-12-31
• Study Completion: 2027-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 111

Inclusion Criteria

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil or base of tongue (oropharynx) or unknown primary with p16-positive cervical lymph node metastases

• HPV-associated tumor as defined by: positive p16 immunohistochemistry (>70%) OR in situ hybridization OR PCR-based methods

• Eligible for curative-intent surgery with anticipated negative margins

• Surgery performed at Brigham & Women's Hospital

• Age 18 or older years.

• ECOG performance status 0-1 (Karnofsky ≥70%, see Appendix A)

• Normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

  • leukocytes ≥3,000/mcL
  • absolute neutrophil count ≥1,000/mcL
  • platelets ≥100,000/mcL
  • total bilirubin within normal institutional limits
  • AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤2.5 × institutional upper limit of normal
  • creatinine ≤ 1.5 times the institutional upper limit of normal OR
  • creatinine clearance ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for participants with creatinine levels above institutional normal.

• Patients with ≤20 pack-years of cumulative cigarette smoking. Pack-years are calculated by multiplying the number of years smoked with the pack of cigarettes smoked per day. One pack is considered to contain 20 cigarettes.

• Tumor clinical stage (AJCC 8th edition): T0 or T1 or T2

• Nodal clinical stage (AJCC 8th edition): N0 or N1

• No distant metastases. Clinical M-stage must be M0 (AJCC 8th edition).

• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion Criteria

• Prior history of head and neck cancer within 5 years.
• Prior head and neck radiation
• Clinically fixed or matted nodes
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements. Note: that HIV positive patients will be eligible.
• Pregnant women are excluded from this study because of the teratogenic risks of radiation exposure to the developing fetus. Because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with radiation therapy and supportive care medications required for symptomatic management of head and neck cancer side effects as well as general anesthesia required for oncologic head and neck surgery, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is enrolled in the study. Pregnancy status will be determined by a serum pregnancy test.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Low Risk	Radiation therapy	Observation without adjuvant therapy * Pathologic T0-2, N0-1 * Minimum of 15 lymph nodes retrieved on neck dissection per dissected side of the neck * Single positive lymph node up to 3cm * No extranodal extension * Clear margins
High Risk	Radiation therapy	Postoperative radiation (60Gy) without chemotherapy * Pathologic T0-4N0-2 and any one of the following features: -\>1mm extranodal extension * Microscopic positive margins
Intermediate Risk	Radiation therapy	Reduced-dose radiation (46Gy) * Pathologic T0-2N0-2 and any one of the following features: * 2 or more positive lymph nodes * single node \>3cm * \<15 lymph nodes retrieved on neck dissection for each side of the neck * Positive lymph nodes in level IB, IV, or V -≤1mm extranodal extension * Positive lymph node(s) contralateral to the primary tumor * Close margins

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Disease-free survival	2 years	Survival without any signs or symptoms of cancer after the treatment ends.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Overall Survival	2 years	The length of time from the start of treatment until death.
Toxicity Rate	2 years	Adverse events experienced by the participants.
Quality Of Life Questionnaire	2 Years	Assesses the physical; social/family; emotional and functional wellbeing, using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Head and Neck (FACT-H\&N) on a scale of 0-4 (where 0 indicates the lowest quality of life and 4 indicates the highest quality of life).
Symptom burden:	2 years	Patient-reported symptom severity, using M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory - Head \& Neck (MDASI-HN) on a scale of 0-10 (where 0 indicates symptom is not present and 10 indicates the symptom is as bad as can be)
Dysphagia	2 Years	Swallowing ability or difficulty. Dysphagia-related quality of life, assessed with the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) on a scale of 1-5 (where 1 indicates the patient strongly agrees and 5 indicates the patient strongly disagrees)
Shoulder dysfunction	2 Years	Shoulder function or dysfunction is measured with the "neck dissection impairment index" (NDII). This evaluates how much the patient's neck and/or shoulder affects them as a result of the treatment they received in their neck during the overall management of their cancer. This scale goes from 1-5 (1 being "not at all" and 5 being "a lot")

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Dana Farber Cancer Institute; 🇺🇸 Boston, Massachusetts, United States