Transoral Surgery Followed By Low-Dose or Standard-Dose Radiation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With HPV Positive Stage III-IVA Oropharyngeal Cancer

March 6, 2024 updated by: ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group

Phase II Randomized Trial of Transoral Surgical Resection Followed by Low-Dose or Standard-Dose IMRT in Resectable p16+ Locally Advanced Oropharynx Cancer

This randomized phase II trial studies how well transoral surgery followed by low-dose or standard-dose radiation therapy works in treating patients with human papilloma virus (HPV) positive stage III-IVA oropharyngeal cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery. It is not yet known how much extra treatment needs to be given after surgery.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Accrual, risk distribution, and surgical quality will be used to determine the feasibility of a prospective multi-institutional study of transoral surgery for HPV positive (+) oropharynx cancer followed by risk-adjusted adjuvant therapy.

II. To assess the oncologic efficacy following transoral resection and adjuvant therapy in patients determined to be at "intermediate risk" after surgical excision, the 2-year progression free survival (PFS) rate will be examined.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To estimate the patient distribution with various histologic risk features. II. To assess and compare early and late toxicities associated with transoral surgery (TOS) and the different doses of adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (PORT).

III. To evaluate swallowing function before and after TOS and risk-adjusted adjuvant therapy.

IV. To evaluate quality of life (QOL), swallowing perception and performance, voice outcomes, and head and neck symptoms.

TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To correlate tumor TP53 mutation and other associated mutation profile with pathologic findings, with PFS and other outcome parameters in patients with resectable HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) after the above treatments.

II. To evaluate radiation resistance markers, including excision repair cross complementing 1 (ERCC1) single nucleotide polymorphism and protein expression, and correlate them with treatment efficacy.

III. To investigate the usefulness of biomarkers in predicting progression-free survival and biomarkers, including tumor ERCC1, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), plasma cytokine/chemokines, cellular immunity to HPV, and oral HPV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

OUTLINE: All patients undergo transoral surgery (TOS) in Step 1.

ARM S: Patients undergo transoral resection of the oropharyngeal tumor.

Then patients are classified by risk status (low risk, intermediate risk, or high risk) in Step 2 and assigned to the appropriate treatment group. Patients classified as intermediate risk are randomized to arms B or C.

ARM A (low risk; observation): Patients receive observation.

ARM B (intermediate risk): Patients undergo low-dose (50Gy) intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) once daily (QD) over 25 fractions.

ARM C (intermediate risk): Patients undergo standard-dose (60Gy) IMRT QD over 30 fractions.

ARM D (high risk): Patients receive IMRT at 66 Gy QD for 33 fractions. Patients also receive cisplatin intravenously (IV) over 60 minutes on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, and 43 during radiation therapy.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 year.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

519

Phase

  • Phase 2

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

    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233
        • University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center
    • Arizona
      • Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, 85259
        • Mayo Clinic in Arizona
    • Arkansas
      • Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72205
        • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    • California
      • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
        • City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
        • UCLA / Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
      • Oakland, California, United States, 94611
        • Kaiser Permanente Oakland-Broadway
      • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304
        • Stanford Cancer Institute
      • San Francisco, California, United States, 94115
        • UCSF Medical Center-Mount Zion
    • Colorado
      • Boulder, Colorado, United States, 80304
        • Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers-Boulder
      • Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, 80907
        • Penrose-Saint Francis Healthcare
      • Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, 80907
        • Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers-Penrose
      • Denver, Colorado, United States, 80210
        • Porter Adventist Hospital
    • Connecticut
      • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06520
        • Yale University
    • Florida
      • Deerfield Beach, Florida, United States, 33442
        • University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Deerfield Beach
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
        • University of Miami Miller School of Medicine-Sylvester Cancer Center
      • Orlando, Florida, United States, 32803
        • Florida Hospital Orlando
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30308
        • Emory University Hospital Midtown
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute
    • Iowa
      • Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242
        • University of Iowa/Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
    • Kansas
      • Kansas City, Kansas, United States, 66160
        • University of Kansas Cancer Center
    • Kentucky
      • Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40536
        • University of Kentucky/Markey Cancer Center
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21204
        • Greater Baltimore Medical Center
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Brigham and Women's Hospital
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118
        • Boston Medical Center
    • Michigan
      • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48202
        • Henry Ford Hospital
    • Missouri
      • Springfield, Missouri, United States, 65804
        • Mercy Hospital Springfield
    • Nebraska
      • Omaha, Nebraska, United States, 68114
        • Nebraska Methodist Hospital
      • Omaha, Nebraska, United States, 68198
        • University of Nebraska Medical Center
    • New Hampshire
      • Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States, 03756
        • Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
    • New Mexico
      • Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 87102
        • University of New Mexico
    • New York
      • Bronx, New York, United States, 10467-2490
        • Montefiore Medical Center - Moses Campus
      • New York, New York, United States, 10065
        • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
        • Duke University Medical Center
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
        • Case Western Reserve University
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44195
        • Cleveland Clinic Foundation
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
        • Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
    • Oregon
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239
        • Oregon Health and Science University
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97213
        • Providence Portland Medical Center
    • Pennsylvania
      • Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States, 17109
        • PinnacleHealth Cancer Center-Community Campus
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19111
        • Fox Chase Cancer Center
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19107
        • Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • University of Pennsylvania/Abramson Cancer Center
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15232
        • University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425
        • Medical University of South Carolina
    • Tennessee
      • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232
        • Vanderbilt University/Ingram Cancer Center
    • Texas
      • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75390
        • UT Southwestern/Simmons Cancer Center-Dallas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • M D Anderson Cancer Center
    • Virginia
      • Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, 22908
        • University of Virginia Cancer Center
      • Falls Church, Virginia, United States, 22042
        • Inova Fairfax Hospital
      • Hampton, Virginia, United States, 23666
        • Sentara Cancer Institute at Sentara CarePlex Hospital
      • Norfolk, Virginia, United States, 23507
        • Sentara Hospitals
      • Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, 23454
        • Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98195
        • University of Washington Medical Center
    • Wisconsin
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53792
        • University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
      • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 53226
        • Froedtert and The Medical College of Wisconsin
      • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 53295
        • Zablocki Veterans Administration Medical Center

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Registration to Surgery (Arm S)

  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1
  • Patients must have newly diagnosed, histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma or undifferentiated carcinoma of the oropharynx; patients must have been determined to have resectable oropharyngeal disease; patients with primary tumor or nodal metastasis fixed to the carotid artery, skull base or cervical spine are not eligible
  • Patients must have American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM tumor stage III, IV a, or IV b (with no evidence of distant metastases) as determined by imaging studies (performed < 30 days prior to pre-registration) and complete head and neck exam; the following imaging is required: computed tomography (CT) scan with IV contrast or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Patients must have biopsy-proven p16+ oropharynx cancer; the histologic evidence of invasive squamous cell carcinoma may have been obtained from the primary tumor or metastatic lymph node. It is required that patients have a positive p16 IHC (as surrogate for HPV) status from either the primary tumor or metastatic lymph node.
  • Carcinoma of the oropharynx associated with HPV as determined by p16 protein expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) performed by a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) approved laboratory; using p16 antibody obtained from Roche mtm laboratories AG (CINtec, clone E6H4) is recommended
  • Patients with a history of a curatively treated malignancy must be disease-free for at least two years except for carcinoma in situ of cervix and/or non-melanomatous skin cancer
  • Patients with the following within the last 6 months prior to pre-registration must be evaluated by a cardiologist and/or neurologist prior to entry into the study

    • Congestive heart failure > NYHA Class II
    • Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)/transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
    • Unstable angina
    • Myocardial infarction
  • Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/mm^3
  • Platelets >= 100,000/mm^3
  • Total bilirubin =< the upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • Calculated creatinine clearance must be > 60 ml/min using the Cockcroft-Gault formula

Registration/Randomization to Step2 - Arms A, B, C and D

  • Histopathologic assessment of surgical pathology must include examination for perineural invasion (PNI) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and reported as absent or present; the absence or presence of extracapsular extension (ECE) requires gross and microscopic assessment and is defined to be:

    • Absent (negative or nodal metastasis with smooth/rounded leading edge confined to thickened capsule/pseudocapsule),
    • Present - minimal (tumor extends =< 1 mm beyond the lymph node capsule), or
    • Present - extensive (gross, tumor extends > 1 mm beyond the lymph node capsule (includes soft tissue metastasis)
  • Patient must be stratified/classified into one of the following risk categories (the highest risk feature assessed pathologically will determine the patient's category/treatment arm assignment):

    • Low Risk: T1-T2, N0-N1 AND clear (≥ 3mm) margins, AND no ECE or PNI/LVI
    • High Risk: Any of the following features: one or more positive margin(s) with any T stage, OR "Extensive" (> 1mm) ECE, OR ≥ 5 metastatic lymph nodes (regardless of primary tumor margin status)
    • Intermediate Risk: Any of the following features: one or more "close" (< 3mm) margin(s), OR "Minimal" (≤ 1mm) ECE, OR N2a (1 or more lymph node > 3cm in diameter), OR N2b (2-4 lymph nodes positive, any diameter ≤ 6cm), OR with perineural invasion or lymphovascular invasion.
    • Unknown Risk: Patients found to have N2C or N3 disease on final pathologic analysis are at unknown risk for recurrence, but are not candidates for deintensified adjuvant therapy in this trial. These patients will be treated on Arm C.
    • Patients not categorized into the appropriate risk category will be considered ineligible for the study
  • Patient must be registered/randomized to Step 2 within a maximum of 7 weeks following surgery
  • Women of childbearing potential and sexually active males are strongly advised to use an accepted and effective method of contraception

Exclusion Criteria:

Registration to Surgery (Arm S)

  • Prior radiation above the clavicles
  • Evidence of extensive or "matted/fixed" pathologic adenopathy on preoperative imaging
  • Women must not be pregnant or breast-feeding due to the teratogenicity of chemotherapy; all females of childbearing potential must have a blood test or urine study within 2 weeks prior to registration to rule out pregnancy; a female of childbearing potential is any woman, regardless of sexual orientation or whether they have undergone tubal ligation, who meets the following criteria: has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy; or has not been naturally postmenopausal for at least 24 consecutive months (i.e., has had menses at any time in the preceding 24 consecutive months)
  • Any intercurrent illness likely to interfere with protocol therapy or prevent surgical resection
  • Uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled infection despite antibiotics or uncontrolled hypertension within 30 days prior to pre-registration

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Arm S (Surgery) then Arm A (Low risk, observation)
Patients undergo transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor. After transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor, low risk patients are under observation.
Undergo transoral surgical resection
Other Names:
  • TOS
Experimental: Arm S (Surgery) then Arm B (Intermediate risk, low-dose IMRT)
Patients undergo transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor. After transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor, intermediate risk patients receive low-dose IMRT (50 Gy) QD five days a week for 5 weeks.
Undergo transoral surgical resection
Other Names:
  • TOS
Undergo standard-dose or low-dose IMRT
Other Names:
  • IMRT
Experimental: Arm S (Surgery) then Arm C (Intermediate risk, standard-dose IMRT)
Patients undergo transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor. After transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor, intermediate risk patients receive standard-dose IMRT (60 Gy) QD five days a week for 6 weeks.
Undergo transoral surgical resection
Other Names:
  • TOS
Undergo standard-dose or low-dose IMRT
Other Names:
  • IMRT
Experimental: Arm S (Surgery) then Arm D (High risk, IMRT, chemotherapy)
Patients undergo transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor. After transoral surgical resection of the oropharyngeal tumor, high risk patients then receive IMRT (66Gy) QD five days a week for 6-7 weeks. Patients also receive cisplatin IV over 60 minutes on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, and 43 during radiation therapy.
Given IV
Other Names:
  • CDDP
  • Platinol
  • platinum
  • DDP
  • Platinol-AQ
  • DACP
  • Cis-diaminedichloroplatinum Cis-diaminedichloroplatinum (II)
  • cis-platinum
  • diaminedichloroplatinum
  • NSC 119875 R R
Given IV
Other Names:
  • CBDCA
  • JM-8
  • Paraplatin
  • NSC-241240
Undergo transoral surgical resection
Other Names:
  • TOS
Undergo standard-dose or low-dose IMRT
Other Names:
  • IMRT

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Progression-free Survival Rate at 2 Years
Time Frame: Assessed every 3 months for 2 years
Progression-free survival is defined as the time from randomization/assignment of post-surgical treatment to the appearance of lesions, including primary, nodal or new site, or death, whichever occurs first. These patients are considered disease-free after surgery so the appearance of any lesions is counted as progression. Kaplan-Meier estimate was used to characterize progression-free survival rate at 2 years.
Assessed every 3 months for 2 years
Proportion of Patients With Grade III or IV Oropharyngeal Bleeding or Positive Margins
Time Frame: Assessed during surgery and directly after surgery

Surgery quality was evaluated based on grade 3-4 bleeding events per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0 during surgery and positive margins after surgery. Per CTCAE v5.0, grade 3 = severe and grade 4 = life-threatening.

Having grade 3-4 bleeding or positive margins indicates worse outcomes.

Assessed during surgery and directly after surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Distribution of Histologic Risk Status
Time Frame: Assessed after directly surgery

Low Risk: T1-T2, N0-N1 AND clear (> 3mm) margins, AND no extranodal extension (ENE) or PNI/LVI.

Intermediate Risk: Any of the following features: one or more "close" (< 3mm) margin(s), OR "Minimal" (< 1mm) ENE, OR N2a (1 or more lymph node >3cm in diameter), OR N2b (2-4 lymph nodes positive, any diameter < 6cm), OR with perineural invastion or lymphovascular invasion.

High Risk: Any of the following features: one or more positive margin(s) with any T stage, OR "Extensive" (> 1mm) ENE, OR > 5 metastatic lymph nodes (regardless of primary tumor margin status).

Assessed after directly surgery
Swallowing Function Before Surgery Assessed Using MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI)
Time Frame: Assessed at baseline
The MDADI measures swallowing-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with swallowing dysfunction in a 20-item written questionnaire. It evaluates the patient's physical (P), emotional (E) and functional (F) perceptions of swallowing dysfunction. This instrument has been psychometrically validated in head and neck cancer patients. Two summary scores can be obtained from the MDADI: 1) global and 2) composite. The global scale is a single question, scored individually, to assess the overall impact that swallowing abilities have on quality of life ("my swallowing impacts my day-to-day life"). The composite MDADI score summarizes overall performance on remaining 19-items of the MDADI, as a weighted average of the physical, emotional, and functional subscale questions. This study reports the composite MDADI score. The summary MDADI scores are normalized to range from 20 (extremely low functioning) to 100 (high functioning).
Assessed at baseline
Swallowing Function After Surgery Assessed Using MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI)
Time Frame: Assessed 4-6 weeks after surgery
The MDADI measures swallowing-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with swallowing dysfunction in a 20-item written questionnaire. It evaluates the patient's physical (P), emotional (E) and functional (F) perceptions of swallowing dysfunction. This instrument has been psychometrically validated in head and neck cancer patients. Two summary scores can be obtained from the MDADI: 1) global and 2) composite. The global scale is a single question, scored individually, to assess the overall impact that swallowing abilities have on quality of life ("my swallowing impacts my day-to-day life"). The composite MDADI score summarizes overall performance on remaining 19-items of the MDADI, as a weighted average of the physical, emotional, and functional subscale questions. This study reports the composite MDADI score. The summary MDADI scores are normalized to range from 20 (extremely low functioning) to 100 (high functioning).
Assessed 4-6 weeks after surgery
Quality of Life (QOL) at 6 Months After Treatment Assessed by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Head and Neck Cancer (FACT-HN) Total Score
Time Frame: Assessed at 6 months after treatment
The FACT-H&N (version 4) consists of a cancer-specific questionnaire, FACT-G, in addition to 12 H&N cancer-specific items (the HN subscale). FACT-G is a 27-item measure that assesses general cancer quality of life. FACT-HN total score ranges between 0 and 148. The higher the score, the better the QOL.
Assessed at 6 months after treatment

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Association Between TP53 Mutation and Progression-free Survival
Time Frame: Assessed every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months, up to 5 years
Progression-free survival is defined as the time from registration to the appearance of new metastatic lesions or objective tumor progression or death, whichever occurs first. Kaplan-Meier estimate was used to characterize progression-free survival.
Assessed every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months, up to 5 years
Association Between Radiation Resistance Markers and Progression-free Survival
Time Frame: Assessed every 3 months for 2 year, then every 6 months, up to 5 years
Progression-free survival is defined as the time from registration to the appearance of new metastatic lesions or objective tumor progression or death, whichever occurs first. Kaplan-Meier estimate was used to characterize progression-free survival.
Assessed every 3 months for 2 year, then every 6 months, up to 5 years
Usefulness of Biomarkers in Predicting Progression-free Survival
Time Frame: Assessed every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months, up to 5 years
Progression-free survival is defined as the time from registration to the appearance of new metastatic lesions or objective tumor progression or death, whichever occurs first. Kaplan-Meier estimate was used to characterize progression-free survival.
Assessed every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months, up to 5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Robert Ferris, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group

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.

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)

January 22, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 30, 2020

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 10, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 10, 2013

First Posted (Estimated)

July 12, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 8, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 6, 2024

Last Verified

March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data may be made available upon request as per the ECOG-ACRIN Data Sharing Policy.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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