Doxepin Hydrochloride in Treating Oral Mucositis Pain in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy

Phase 3

Completed

Conditions: Mucositis
Oral Complications of Radiation Therapy
Pain
Head and Neck Cancer

Interventions: Other: placebo
Drug: doxepin hydrochloride

Registration Number: NCT01156142

Lead Sponsor: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology

Brief Summary: RATIONALE: Doxepin hydrochloride may be an effective treatment for oral mucositis pain in patients undergoing radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying doxepin hydrochloride to see how well it works compared to placebo in treating oral mucositis pain in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.

Detailed Description: OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to gender, concurrent radiosensitizing chemotherapy (yes vs no), and age (\< 60 years vs ≥ 60 years). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

* Arm I: Patients receive doxepin hydrochloride oral rinse (swish, gargle, and spit)\* over 1 minute on day 1. Patients may crossover to arm II on day 2.

* Arm II: Patients receive placebo oral rinse (swish, gargle, and spit)\* over 1 minute on day 1.

Patients may crossover to arm I on day 2. The primary and secondary objectives are detailed below.

Primary Objective:

Determine whether doxepin oral rinse is effective in reducing OM-related pain in patients undergoing RT to the oral cavity, as measured by a patient-reported questionnaire at 5,15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes

Secondary Objectives:

1. Assess the adverse event profile of doxepin rinse using a patient-reported questionnaire at 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes for domains of unpleasant taste, burning or stinging discomfort, and drowsiness.

2. Compare the incidence of using alternative analgesics before 4 hours, between the doxepin oral rinse and placebo arms.

3. Assess patient preference for continued therapy with oral rinse after initial test rinse or after the cross-over phase.

NOTE: \* Patients are instructed to avoid taking medications for mucositis pain 60 minutes before and after study medication.

After completing study therapy, patients have the option to receive doxepin hydrochloride oral rinse every 4 hours as needed during radiotherapy.

Patients complete questionnaires at baseline, and at 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 minutes after study medication. Patients who choose to continue doxepin hydrochloride oral rinse also complete weekly questionnaires.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 155

Inclusion Criteria

≥ 18 years of age
Histologic proof of malignancy currently undergoing a course of RT (with or without chemotherapy) to a dose of ≥ 5000 cGy using 1.60 to 2.20 Gy per fraction. Note: At least one third of the oral cavity mucosa must be included in the radiation therapy fields.
≥ 4 oral pain felt to be related to mucositis for which the patient wants relief as measured by the Numeric Measure of Oral Pain. Note: An oral exam confirming the presence of mucositis should be performed by the enrolling clinician in addition to patient feedback.
Ability to complete questionnaire(s) independently or with assistance
ECOG Performance Status 0, 1 or 2.
Provide informed written consent.
Willingness to return to enrolling institution for follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria

Known allergy to doxepin, tricyclic antidepressants, or any known component of the drug formulation
Use of a tricyclic antidepressant or monoamine oxidase inhibitor within the 2 weeks prior to registration
Current untreated or unresolved oral candidiasis or oral HSV infection
Current untreated narrow angle glaucoma
Current untreated urinary retention ≤ 6 weeks prior to registration
Co-morbid systemic illnesses or other severe concurrent disease which, in the judgment of the investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study or interfere significantly with the proper assessment of safety and toxicity of the prescribed regimens
Any of the following because this study involves a study agent whose genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and newborn are unknown:
- Pregnant women
- Nursing women
- Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Arm II	placebo	Patients receive placebo oral rinse (swish, gargle, and spit) over 1 minute on day 1. Patients may crossover to arm I on day 2.
Arm I	doxepin hydrochloride	Patients receive doxepin hydrochloride oral rinse (swish, gargle, and spit) over 1 minute on day 1. Patients may crossover to arm II on day 2.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Total Pain Reduction (Mouth and Throat)	Baseline and Day 1	The total pain reduction will be calculated by the (average of mouth and throat) area under the curve (AUC) adjusting for baseline, with time scale replaced by a numerical scale of 1,2,3,4,5,6. The numerical scale will be used rather than the raw time scale in order to give proper weights to more immediate patient-reported mouth pain outcomes after treatment. The AUC will be calculated by proration when there are terminal missing data. If the missing data are intermittent, simple imputation will be applied to calculate the AUC. The question ('On a scale from 0 to 10, what number best describes your MOUTH PAIN due to your radiation treatment now?') used 11-point numerical analog scales (0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable or possible) scores) to measure pain. The AUCs for the two treatment arms were compared by using the Wilcoxon rank sum test with 95% CIs.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Total Taste of the Oral Rinse	Up to 9 days	The total taste of the oral rinse will be calculated by the area under the curve (AUC) adjusting for baseline, with time scale replaced by a numerical scale of 1,2,3,4,5,6 , and analyzed in the same way as the primary endpoint. The numerical scale will be used rather than the raw time scale in order to give proper weights to more immediate patient-reported mouth pain outcomes after treatment. The AUC will be calculated by proration when there are terminal missing data. If the missing data are intermittent, simple imputation will be applied to calculate the AUC. The question ('On a scale from 0 to 10, what number best describes the TASTE OF THE ORAL RINSE now?') used 11-point numerical analog scales (0 (acceptable taste) to 10(terrible taste), with higher values representing worse outcome) to evaluate the total taste of the oral rinse. The AUCs for the two treatment arms were compared by using the Wilcoxon rank sum test with 95% CIs.
Total Stinging or Burning From the Oral Rinse	Up to 9 days	The total stinging or burning from the oral rinse will be calculated by the area under the curve (AUC) adjusting for baseline, with time scale replaced by a numerical scale of 1,2,3,4,5,6. The numerical scale will be used rather than the raw time scale in order to give proper weights to more immediate patient-reported mouth pain outcomes after treatment. The AUC will be calculated by proration when there are terminal missing data. If the missing data are intermittent, simple imputation will be applied to calculate the AUC. The question ('On a scale from 0 to 10, what number best describes any STINGING OR BURNING FROM THE ORAL RINSE now?') used 11-point numerical analog scales (0 (no stinging or burning) to 10 (worst stinging or burning possible) scores) to total stinging or burning from the oral rinse. The AUCs for the two treatment arms were compared by using the Wilcoxon rank sum test with 95% CIs.The statistical analysis will be the same as the primary analysis.
Total Drowsiness Increase	Up to 9 days	The total drowsiness increase will be calculated by the area under the curve (AUC) adjusting for baseline, with time scale replaced by a numerical scale of 1,2,3,4,5,6. The numerical scale will be used rather than the raw time scale in order to give proper weights to more immediate patient-reported mouth pain outcomes after treatment. The AUC will be calculated by proration when there are terminal missing data. If the missing data are intermittent, simple imputation will be applied to calculate the AUC. The question ('On a scale from 0 to 10, what number best describes your DROWSINESS now?') used 11-point numerical analog scales (0 (no drowsiness) to 10 (extreme drowsiness, leading to sleep) scores) to measure total drowsiness increase. The AUCs for the two treatment arms were compared by using the Wilcoxon rank sum test with 95% CIs. The statistical analysis will be the same as the primary analysis.
Incidence of Using Alternative Analgesics Between 2 and 4 Hours After the Initial Mouthwash	Up to 9 days	The incidence of utilizing additional analgesics between 2 and 4 hours after the initial mouthwash will be compared between the arms by the Chi-square test .
Patient Preference for Continuing Therapy With Oral Doxepin Hydrochloride	Up to 9 days	After each dose was administered, patients were asked if they would like to continue rinses with that particular agent. The percentage of patients who expressed an interest in continuing therapy are reported below.

Trial Locations

Locations (120): Mayo Clinic Scottsdale
🇺🇸
Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Saint Francis/Mount Sinai Regional Cancer Center at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center
🇺🇸
Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Mayo Clinic - Jacksonville
🇺🇸
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
MBCCOP - Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Augusta, Georgia, United States
Saint Alphonsus Cancer Care Center at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
🇺🇸
Boise, Idaho, United States
CCOP - Carle Cancer Center
🇺🇸
Urbana, Illinois, United States
Elkhart Clinic, LLC
🇺🇸
Elkhart, Indiana, United States
Michiana Hematology-Oncology, PC - Elkhart
🇺🇸
Elkhart, Indiana, United States
Elkhart General Hospital
🇺🇸
Elkhart, Indiana, United States
Howard Community Hospital
🇺🇸
Kokomo, Indiana, United States
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Mayo Clinic Scottsdale
🇺🇸Scottsdale, Arizona, United States