Nivolumab clinical trials

Intratumoral Gemcitabine, Paclitaxel, Carboplatine and Intravenous Nivolumab for Locally Recurrence of Head and Neck Cancers

Patients with locally recurrent squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) after Chemotherapy and immunotherapy have a very poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Intratumoral chemotherapy (ITC) with cisplatin and epinephrine in order to increase the local cisplatin retention lead to a 50 % response rate in several studies but was given up due to the poor local tolerance with frequent necrosis of the peritumoral tissues. Gemcitabine, carboplatin and paclitaxel (GCP) are used in advanced SCCHN. These chemotherapies seem to be interesting options for intratumoral infusion: their different effect could lead to avoid chemotherapy resistance with a good tolerance profile, without tissue necrosis profile. The other major option for recurrent SCCHN is immunotherapy by Nivolumab, an anti PD-1 with a 13% mediane response rate. Nevertheless, the failure of this treatment stay unclear, but immunosuppressive action of the tumour is suspected. The presence of tumoral antigen could lead to better response to immunotherapy; association of chemotherapy and immunotherapy seems a promosing association to avoid treatment resistance as cytotoxic release tumoral antigen; it could also be associated to an abscopal effect. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of ITC using GCP in LOCAL recurrent SCCHN treated by nivolumab.