Olaparib and Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer

November 6, 2023 updated by: The Netherlands Cancer Institute

Olaparib Dose Escalation Trial in Patients Treated With Radiotherapy for Stage II-III Laryngeal and Stage II-III HPV-negative Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Accelerated, normofractionated radiotherapy is the treatment of choice in stage II-III laryngeal and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, twenty to thirty percent of patients with stage II-III laryngeal and HPV negative oropharyngeal SCC develop disease progression, mainly due to lack of locoregional control. Radiosensitizers such as cisplatin and cetuximab are added to radiotherapy in more advanced stage of head and neck (H&N) cancer. These radiosensitizers improve loco-regional control and overall survival. Unfortunately, as these radiosensitizers, notably cisplatin, also dose intensify the radiation dose in normal tissues, they also significantly increase toxicity. Adding a more tumor-specific radiosensitizing agent could improve loco-regional control and overall survival without significantly increasing toxicity.

Radiotherapy kills tumor cells by inducing DNA damage. The efficacy of radiotherapy is limited by the ability of tumor cells to repair this DNA damage. Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) is an essential enzyme in base excision repair and single strand break DNA repair, DNA lesions arising from radiation treatment. PARP inhibition and consequently the inhibition of PARP-facilitated DNA repair enhances the anti-tumor activity of radiotherapy, as shown in preclinical studies including head and neck xenograft studies. This radiosensitization is thought to be proliferation dependent and is more pronounced in homologous recombination (HR) deficient cells, providing an opportunity for tumor specific targeting. Genetic analyses suggest that HR deficiency is commonly found in H&N SCC: ATM loss has been reported in 60% of human H&N SCC biopsies and FANC-F defects were reported in 15-21% of human H&N SCC biopsies and cell lines.

The efficacy of radiotherapy is also limited by tumor hypoxia, as tumor hypoxia results in radioresistance. Some PARP inhibiting compounds increase tumor perfusion in xenograft models, thereby reducing hypoxia and specifically sensitizing tumor cells to radiotherapy. Hypoxia is commonly found in H&N SCC and a high pre-treatment hypoxic fraction in H&N SCC tumors is associated with worse outcome. The high prevalence of both hypoxia and HR deficiencies in H&N SCC support the concept of tumor-specific radiosensitization by PARP inhibition in head and neck cancer patients.

Olaparib is a potent PARP inhibitor developed as an anti-cancer drug for HR defected tumors and as a dose intensifier for chemo- and radiotherapy. In humans, olaparib has a low toxicity profile as a single agent, with increasing bone marrow toxicity when combined with chemotherapy. The combination of olaparib and radiotherapy for H&N SCC is expected to improve locoregional control and thereby overall survival. However, this combination treatment has never been tested in humans before. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and tolerability of radiotherapy for stage II-III laryngeal and stage II-III HPV-negative oropharyngeal SCC with concurrent olaparib.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
12

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Netherlands
      • Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1066 CX
        • The Netherlands Cancer Institute

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • ≥18 years of age
  • Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx stage II-III (T2N0M0 or T1-2N1M0 or T3N0-1M0) or histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx stage II-III (T1-2N1M0 or T3N0-1M0)
  • In case of oropharyngeal carcinoma: tumor HPV status negative
  • WHO performance 0-1
  • Life expectancy of at least 6 months

  • Adequate hematological, renal and hepatic functions

    • Hemoglobin ≥ 6.2 mmol/l
    • Leucocytes 3.0 x 10E9/l
    • Absolute neutrophil count 1.5x10E9/l
    • Platelet count 100 x 10E9/l
    • Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x UNL
    • ASAT/ALAT ≤ 2.5 x UNL
    • Creatinine clearance 50 ml/min; measured using a 24-hours urine sample or calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula

  • Evidence of non-childbearing status for women of childbearing potential: negative urine or serum pregnancy test within 21 days of study treatment. Non-childbearing potential or postmenopausal is defined as:

    • Amenorrheic for 1 year or more following cessation of exogenous hormonal treatments
    • LH and FSH levels in post menopausal range for women under 50 years of age
    • Radiation-induced oophorectomy with last menses > 1 year ago
    • Chemotherapy-induced menopause with > 1 year interval since last menses
    • Surgical sterilisation (bilateral oophorectomy or hysterectomy)
  • Patients of reproductive potential must agree to practice two effective medically approved contraceptive method during the trial and 3 months afterwards
  • Signed written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients eligible for concurrent chemoradiotherapy rather than radiotherapy alone
  • Concurrent active malignancy other than localized, non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma-in-situ of the cervix (unless definitive treatment was completed 3 years or more before study entry and the patient has remained disease free)
  • Anti-cancer therapy including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, immunotherapy or use of other investigational agents within the 3 weeks prior to start of therapy (or a longer period depending on the defined characteristics of the agents used e.g. 6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosourea). Patients may continue the use of LHRH agonists for cancer; bisphosphonates for bone disease and corticosteroids.
  • Major surgery within two weeks of starting study treatment.
  • Participation in other trial with investigational drug or treatment modality
  • Gastrointestinal disorders that may interfere with absorption of the study drug or patients who are not able to take oral medication.
  • Tube feeding before the start of treatment.
  • Prior radiotherapy to head & neck region.
  • Blood transfusion in the four weeks prior to study entry
  • Persistent toxicities (CTC ≥ grade 2) with the exception of alopecia, caused by previous cancer therapy
  • QT-interval >470 msec

  • Significant cardiovascular disease as defined by:

    • History of congestive heart failure defined as NYHA class III
    • History of unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction up to 3 months prior to trial entry;
    • Presence of severe valvular heart disease
    • Presence of a ventricular arrhythmia requiring treatment;
    • Uncontrolled hypertension

  • Patients considered a poor medical risk due to:

    • non-malignant systemic disease
    • active, uncontrolled infection requiring parenteral antibiotics

    • a serious, uncontrolled medical disorder; examples include, but are not limited to:

      • uncontrolled major seizure disorder
      • unstable spinal cord compression
      • superior vena cava syndrome
      • extensive bilateral lung disease on HRCT scan
      • any psychiatric disorder that prohibits obtaining informed consent.
  • Any psychological, familial, sociological or geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule.
  • Patients who are known to be serologically positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and are receiving antiviral therapy.
  • Patients with known active hepatic disease (i.e. Hepatitis B or C)
  • Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukaemia or features suggestive of MDS/AML on peripheral blood smear.

  • Concomitant medications:

    • Any previous treatment with a PARP inhibitor, including olaparib

    • Patients receiving the following classes of inhibitors of CYP3A4 (see paragraph 6.4.2 for guidelines and wash out periods)

      • Azole antifungals
      • Macrolide antibiotics
      • Protease inhibitors
  • Breast-feeding women

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: radiotherapy and olaparib
Radiotherapy will be given with accelerated fractionation following the DAHANCA schedule Olaparib: dose escalation
Radiation: radiotherapy
Primary tumor and lymph nodes will receive 35 fractions of 2 Gy resulting in a total dose of 70 Gy. Elective fields will receive 35 fractions of 1.55 Gy resulting in a total dose of 54.25 Gy in case a SIB technique is used, or 23 fractions of 2 Gy resulting in a total dose of 46 Gy in case a sequential boost technique is used. The higher total prescribed physical dose to the elective fields in a SIB technique based RT plan compensates for the lower dose per fraction and results in an equal biological effective dose when compared with a sequential boost technique.
Drug: Olaparib
The pre-defined dose levels of olaparib are 25mg QD, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg BID
Other Names:
  • AZD2281
  • KU-0059436

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The incidence of dose limiting toxicities
Time Frame: 1 year
  • Blood transfusion dependency as judged by the PI, unless the patient has progressive disease
  • Development of MDS/AML
  • Grade ≥ 4 dysphagia
  • Grade ≥ 3 hemorrhage, aspiration, skin atrophy, trismus, osteoradionecrosis, radiation dermatitis, pneumonitis
  • Grade ≥ 2 fistula, myelitis
  • Grade ≥ 2 mucosal ulcer present ≥ 6 months after end of treatment
  • Fibrosis limiting joint or orifice movement (e.g. mouth) and/or limiting self care ADL
  • Only in patients with oropharynx SCC: grade ≥ 3 larynx stenosis
  • Any other (non-)hematological toxicity, which in the judgment of the Investigator is viewed as DLT; excluding fatigue
1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
acute toxicity
Time Frame: until 3 months after treatment
severity, duration and relation with treatment of all adverse events according to CTCAE version 4.03
until 3 months after treatment
late toxicity
Time Frame: 3 months until 2 year after treatment
severity, duration and relation with treatment of possibly, probably or definitely related adverse events according to CTCAE version 4.03
3 months until 2 year after treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The Netherlands Cancer Institute

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
AstraZeneca

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Marcel Verheij, MD, PhD, The Netherlands Cancer Institute

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 24, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 14, 2020

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 28, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 28, 2014

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 1, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 7, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 6, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • N13ORH
  • 2011-002963-79 (EudraCT Number)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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