Evaluation of De-escalated Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Associated Oropharynx Cancer

DART-HPV: A Phase III Evaluation of De-escalated Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for HPV-Associated Oropharynx Cancer

This study is designed for patients with a cancer of the oropharynx (tonsils or base of tongue) caused by the HPV virus. Traditional treatment involves surgery followed by six weeks of daily radiation therapy. This study investigates a less intense radiation treatment following surgery that uses half the dose of radiation given over two weeks rather than six weeks. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive the less intense treatment versus the traditional treatment by coin flip. Patients are twice as likely to receive the less intense treatment during randomization.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Oropharynx Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Radiation: Adjuvant Radiation Therapy; Drug: Docetaxel; Drug: Cisplatin

Detailed Description

Recent studies suggest that tumors in the oropharynx (tonsils or base of tongue) caused by the HPV virus are much more sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy. Standard treatment for HPV associated oropharynx tumor after surgery involves six weeks of radiation therapy and has many long term side effects and complications.

Mayo Clinic recently piloted a study investigating whether patients with HPV-associated oropharynx tumors can receive less radiation and chemotherapy after surgery when compared with the standard treatment. The investigators current study will compare the new, shorter treatment course (2 weeks of treatment) with the standard course of treatment (six weeks). Patients will be randomized to either the less intense or standard treatment arm. Patients will be twice as likely to receive the less intense treatment during randomization.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 228
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arizona
    • Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, 85259
      • Mayo Clinic in Arizona
  • Minnesota
    • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
      • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Histological confirmation of HPV+ squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. HPV positivity will be defined as positive staining for p16 on immunohistochemistry (IHC).
• Gross total surgical resection with curative intent of the primary tumor and at least unilateral neck dissection within 7 weeks of registration.
• ECOG Performance Status (PS) 0 or 1
• Absence of distant metastases on standard diagnostic work-up ≤ 10 weeks prior to registration. (Chest CT, Chest x-ray (CXR), or PET/CT.)

• Must have one of the following risk factors:

  • Lymph node > 3 cm
  • 2 or more positive lymph nodes
  • Perineural invasion
  • Lymphovascular space invasion
  • T3 or T4 primary disease
  • Lymph node extracapsular extension

• The following laboratory values obtained ≥14 days prior to registration.

  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1500/mm3
  • Platelet count ≥100,000/mm3
  • Hemoglobin ≥8.0g/dL
  • Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL or creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
  • Total bilirubin < 2 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • AST or ALT < 3 x institutional ULN
• Negative pregnancy test done ≤7 days prior to registration, for women of childbearing potential only.
• Ability to complete questionnaire(s) by themselves or with assistance.
• Provide informed written consent.
• Willingness to return to enrolling institution for follow-up (during the Active Monitoring Phase of the study).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any of the following because this study involves an agent that has known genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects:

  • Pregnant women
  • Nursing women
  • Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception
• Co-morbid systemic illnesses or other severe concurrent disease which, in the judgment of the investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study or interfere significantly with the proper assessment of safety and toxicity of the prescribed regimens.
• Immunocompromised patients and patients known to be HIV positive.
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
• Receiving any other investigational agent which would be considered as a treatment for the primary neoplasm.
• Other active malignancy ≤ 5 years prior to registration. EXCEPTIONS: Non-melanotic skin cancer or carcinoma-in-situ of the cervix. NOTE: If there is a history or prior malignancy, they must not be receiving other specific treatment for their cancer.
• Prior history of radiation therapy to the affected site.
• History of connective tissue disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjogren's disease.

• Presence of any of the following risk factors after surgery:

  • Any positive surgical margin.
  • Adenopathy below the clavicles
• Prior systemic chemotherapy.
• Receiving any medications or substances which in the opinion of the investigators would interfere with treatment. Examples could include strong inhibitors of CYP3A4 at oncologist discretion (see Appendix IV).
• Severe pre-existing ototoxicity or neuropathy that would, in the opinion of the investigator, preclude the use of cisplatin chemotherapy.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: De-escalated Adjuvant Radiation Therapy; Docetaxel 15 mg/m2 days 1, 8 + Radiation Therapy (RT) 30 Gy/1.5 Gy fractions twice daily (b.i.d.) days 1-12 only (intermediate risk) or 36 Gy/1.8 Gy b.i.d. fractions (high risk)	Radiation: Adjuvant Radiation Therapy; 60 Gy / 2 Gy fractions (standard arm) 30 - 36 Gy / 1.5 - 1.8 Gy b.i.d. fractions (experimental arm); Drug: Docetaxel; 15 mg/m2. Experimental arm only.; Other Names: Taxotere
Active Comparator: Standard of Care Treatment; RT 60 Gy/2 Gy fractions daily (qday) days 1-40. For high risk, add weekly Cisplatin 40 mg/m2 (Around days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36)	Radiation: Adjuvant Radiation Therapy; 60 Gy / 2 Gy fractions (standard arm) 30 - 36 Gy / 1.5 - 1.8 Gy b.i.d. fractions (experimental arm); Drug: Cisplatin; 40 mg/m2. Standard arm only.; Other Names: cisplatinum

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Grade 3+ Adverse Events Rate	To compare rate of late grade 3-5 toxicities between de-escalated adjuvant radiation therapy (DART) and standard adjuvant therapy.	2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Local/Regional Control	Local/regional failure percentage as assessed by imaging or physical exam at 2 years after study registration for patients treated with DART vs standard therapy.	2 years
Overall Survival	Percentage of patients alive at 2 years.	2 years
Disease-free Survival	Percentage of patients disease free and alive at 2 years.	2 years
Quality of Life Between DART and Standard Adjuvant Therapy - FACT-HN	To compare the overall QOL between DART and standard adjuvant therapy at 1-year post-treatment as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Head & Neck (FACT-HN) questionnaire. The FACT-HN consists of 12 questions related to symptoms and feeling over the past 7 days. Items are answered on a scale of 0-4 where 0=not at all, 1=a little bit, 2=somewhat, 3=quite a bit, and 4=very much.	1 year
Quality of Life Between DART and Standard Adjuvant Therapy - EORTC-QLQ-HN35	To compare the overall QOL between DART and standard adjuvant therapy at 1-year post-treatment as measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ) Head and Neck Module (EORTC-QLQ-HN35). The questionnaire consists of 35 items related to symptoms or problems during the past week. Thirty (30) items are answered on a scale of 0-4 where 0=not at all; 1=a little; 3=quite a bit, and 4=very much, and five (5) items are answered with yes/no.	1 year
Distant Failure Associated With DART vs Standard Treatment	Distant failure is defined as cancer that has recurred or spread to a part of the body far away from the original tumor site	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mayo Clinic
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Daniel Ma, M.D., Mayo Clinic

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 3, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 20, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): November 15, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 16, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): September 21, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Stomatognathic Diseases; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Pharyngeal Neoplasms; Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms; Pharyngeal Diseases; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Tubulin Modulators; Antimitotic Agents; Mitosis Modulators; Docetaxel
• Other Study ID Numbers: 16-004083; MC1675 (Other Identifier: Mayo Clinic in Rochester)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO