Use of Pharmacogenetics to Select Erbitux or Cisplatin to Treat Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: A Pilot Prospective Clinical Trial to Use Pharmacogenetics (PGx) to Select Erbitux or Cisplatin to Treat Head and Neck Cancer

Status Terminated

Clinical Trial Summary

This study is for patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer that cannot be removed by surgery.

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of using genetic variations in patients to select the right drug to treat head and neck cancer. Cisplatin and cetuximab (Erbitux)are both approved by the FDA to treat head and neck cancer in combination with radiation therapy. In this study the investigators will test whether genetic differences between patients can be used to pick which of these two drugs a patient should receive. All patients will have a blood sample drawn that will be tested for genetic differences. If patients have genetic differences that correlate with a better outcome from cisplatin they will receive cisplatin with radiation. If patients have genetic differences that do not correlate with a better outcome from cisplatin they will receive cetuximab with their radiation therapy.

Clinical Trial Description

Treatment-naive patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic (Stage III to IVB) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who are candidates for concurrent chemoradiotherapy as primary therapy with curative intent will be enrolled. Patients will be genotyped for germline variations at four SNP loci in three genes involved in DNA nucleotide excision repair (ERCC1, ERCC2, and XRCC1). Patients with 3 to 8 variants will receive cisplatin (Arm A). Patients with 2 or fewer variants will receive cetuximab (Arm B).

The hypothesis of the study is that prospectively testing patients for variations in DNA repair enzymes to determine whether to use cisplatin or cetuximab in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer is feasible. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Non-Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
• Head and Neck Neoplasms
• Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer
• Neoplasms, Squamous Cell

• NCT number: NCT01790516
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Georgetown University
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 2012
• Completion date: June 2013