View clinical trials related to Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms.
Filter by:Rationale: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) syndrome is characterized by the development of numerous colorectal polyps. If left untreated, these patients have a chance of nearly 100% of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) at a young age. Therefore, guidelines recommend a prophylactic colectomy during early adulthood. Even after colectomy, most patients will develop adenomas in the retained rectum or ileoanal pouch requiring further endoscopic surveillance. In a recent study in mouse models, a chemopreventive effect of Lithium was observed on the spread of Apc mutated cells within the crypts of normal intestinal mucosa, suggesting polyp formation can be prevented. Lithium is used to treat patients with bipolar disorders but has never been investigated in patients with FAP aiming to reduce polyp burden. We hypothesize that Lithium could reduce the spread of APC mutated cells within the crypt of normal intestinal mucosa potentially reducing polyp burden in patients with FAP. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of low-dose Lithium on stem cell dynamics, the number and size of polyps and, to assess safety outcomes of this drug in FAP patients. Study design: A prospective phase II, single arm pilot trial, with a duration of 18 months. The drug will be administered between month 6 and 12. Study population: Twelve patients with FAP between the age of 18 and 35 not having undergone a colectomy (yet), having a genetically confirmed APC mutation and a family history with a classical FAP phenotype. Intervention: All patients will be treated with Lithium with an oral dose of 300mg a day for six months, achieving a therapeutic serum level between 0.2-0.4 mmol/L. Main study parameters/endpoints: The main outcome parameter is the effect of Lithium on the spread of APC mutant cells within intestinal crypts over time by using an APC specific marker NOTUM (a significance reduce of fixed crypts and reduction of fixed clone size of 50%). Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: A physical examination and an endoscopy with biopsies will be performed at baseline and every six months (four in total). Laboratory testing will be done at baseline and every two months during Lithium treatment. Patients will be interviewed by phone and Lithium side effect questionnaires will be obtained at baseline and during Lithium treatment. Lithium serum levels will be measured at day 12 and 22 after start of the study drug (at month 6). When the therapeutic range has been achieved, serum level testing will be done every month. Most relevant side-effects that could potential occur include polyuria, hyperparathyroidism and hypothyroidism. Most side effects are dose-dependent and will be regularly monitored. Patients with FAP could potentially benefit from a chemopreventive therapy such as Lithium to postpone or even avoid invasive types of surgery.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a geographically endemic, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated carcinoma of epidermoid origin. It occurs most commonly in Southern China and Southeast Asia. The NPC cells are poorly differentiated or undifferentiated with a high incidence of lymphatic and hematological dissemination. Because of the inherent anatomic constraints and a high degree of radiosensitivity, radiotherapy (RT) has been the primary treatment for NPC patients. NPC is also a chemosensitive tumor. Various modes of combined chemoradiotherapy have been used to treat NPC patients with advanced-stage diseases during recent 20 years. However, treatment outcome for locoregionally advanced NPC is still unsatisfactory.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) differs from other head and neck malignancies in terms of its epidemiology, pathology, and treatment outcome . It is endemic in China and is one of the major public health problems. Concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the primary treatment for patients with NPC. Despite such aggressive treatment, many patients with locally advanced NPC still develop locally recurrent disease. Since local control is directly related to patient morbidity and mortality in NPC, there is a strong need to identify methods to further improve treatment outcome for NPC. One strategy to improve local control is to escalate the dose of radiotherapy. This is because local control has been shown to be directly related to the radiotherapy dose. Several different techniques, including brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and dose-painting intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), have been used to increase radiotherapy dose. However, due to the large number of critical anatomic structures near the nasopharynx, dose-escalation in NPC can also lead to increased toxicities. One technique that has achieved dose-escalation with minimal increase in toxicity is simultaneous modulated accelerated radiation therapy (SMART). The main challenge for such treatment is to identify the appropriate tumor volume to receive the high-dose radiotherapy. Conventional dose-escalation is conducted using computed tomography (CT) to identify the gross tumor volume (GTV). However, recent progress with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) in treatment planning allows more accurate tumor volume delineation. We hypothesize that the use of PET/CT in treatment planning can improve dose-escalation radiotherapy for NPC which in turn can improve therapeutic efficacy while reducing toxicity. PET/CT imaging of tissue hypoxia using [F-18]fluoromisonidazole (FMISO), the most widely used nitroimidazole imaging agent.Given that there has been no clinical trials directly comparing conventional chemoradiotherapy to CT-guided dose-escalation chemoradiotherapy or PET/CT guided dose-escalation chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced NPC.This was a study to evaluate the role of FMISO-PET hypoxia imaging for predicting survival in NPC,our study aims to compare the local control, overall survival and toxicities of the three treatment regimens..