Vorinostat and Azacitidine in Treating Patients With Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Cancer or Nasal Natural Killer T-Cell Lymphoma

Running, not enrolling · Phase 1

Conditions studied: Adult Nasal Type Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma, Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Keratinizing Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Undifferentiated Carcinoma, Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Keratinizing Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v7, Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Undifferentiated Carcinoma AJCC v7

In brief

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of vorinostat when given together with azacitidine in treating patients with nasopharyngeal cancer or nasal natural killer T-cell lymphoma that has recurred (come back) at or near the same place as the original (primary) tumor, usually after a period of time during which the cancer could not be detected or has spread to other parts of the body. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vorinostat and azacitidine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Vorinostat and azacitidine also may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving vorinostat together with azacitidine may kill more cancer cells.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT00336063
Run by: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
People needed: 18
Starts: 2006-03-03
Expected to finish: 2027-03-31
Last updated by the study team: 2026-04-13

Who can join

Age: 21 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Biopsy proven nasopharyngeal carcinoma (World Health Organization [WHO] type 3) or extranodal NK-T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, nasal type (recurrence or metastases does not require tissue documentation)
Patients must have metastatic disease or locally recurrent disease that is not amendable to surgical resection
Patients must have locally recurrent disease that is not amendable to further treatment with radiotherapy with curative intent
Patients must have metastatic disease or locally recurrent disease that has been treated with at least one regimen of chemotherapeutic agents after relapse; patient must be at least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 2 (Karnofsky >= 60%)
Life expectancy greater than 6 months
Leukocytes >= 3,000/ul
Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/ul
Platelets >= 100,000/ul
Total bilirubin =< 1.5 X normal institutional limits
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
Prothrombin time =< 1.5 X normal institutional limits
Serum albumin >= 2.7 grams/deciliter
Creatinine =< 1.5 X normal institutional limits or a calculated creatinine clearance of > 50 mls/min
Sexually active women of child-bearing potential should have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 21 days of enrolling on trial; women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
Patients must be informed of the investigational nature of the treatment, results that might be expected, and potential toxicities; they must be able to give informed written consent according to federal and institutional guidelines

You may not qualify if…

Patients who have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier
Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents
Patients with known central nervous system (CNS) involvement (brain metastases or carcinomatous meningitis should be excluded from this clinical trial; patients with skull base involvement are eligible for this study
History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to 5AC or SAHA
Patients should not have taken sodium valproate for at least 2 weeks prior to enrollment
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
Pregnant women are excluded from this study; breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with 5AC and SAHA
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients receiving combination anti-retroviral therapy are excluded from the study
Patients with chronic active hepatitis B are excluded from the study

Where it is running

Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center — Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Chinese University of Hong Kong-Prince of Wales Hospital — Shatin, Hong Kong
National Cancer Center Hospital — Tokyo, Japan
National University Hospital Singapore — Singapore, Singapore
National Cancer Centre Singapore — Singapore, Singapore

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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