Erlotinib, Celecoxib and Reirradiation for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer

Completed · Phase 1/Phase 2

Conditions studied: Cancer of the Pharynx, Cancer of the Larynx, Cancer of the Neck, Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms, Cancer of the Head

In brief

There is no optimal treatment for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer after previous radiation. Chemotherapy alone is not curative and patients survive an average of only 6 to 10 months. Surgery is not always possible and often cannot remove every cancerous cell. On the other hand, reirradiation with chemotherapy cures approximately 25 to 30% of patients but has significant toxicity with as many as 15 to 20% suffering from life-threatening or fatal complications. Therefore, less toxic and more effective reirradiation regimens are urgently needed. There are extensive data from animal studies and preliminary human studies showing that blocking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and COX-2 enhances radiation effect and is more effective than either treatment alone. Erlotinib is a FDA approved oral inhibitor of EGFR and celecoxib is a FDA approved COX-2 inhibitor. Both have been well studied in humans and appear to have less severe toxicity than conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00970502

Run by

Johnny Kao

People needed

15

Starts

2007-02-01

Expected to finish

2010-11-01

Last updated by the study team

2017-04-10

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 18 years or older
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of squamous cell or poorly differentiated carcinomas of the head and neck or lymphoepithelioma
• Prior radiation to the head and neck, surgery or chemotherapy is allowed
• Karnofsky performance status of >= 70%
• Intact organ and bone marrow function
• Obtained informed consent

You may not qualify if…

• Demonstration of metastatic disease (i.e. M1 disease).
• Incomplete healing from previous surgery
• Pregnancy or breast feeding (men and women of child-bearing potential are eligible but must consent to using effective contraception during therapy and for at least 3 months after completing therapy)
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure (CHF), unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Patients with clinically significant pulmonary dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, or any history of clinically significant CHF are excluded. The exclusion of patients with active coronary artery disease will be at the discretion of the attending physician.
• Uncontrolled active infection unless curable with treatment of their cancer.

Where it is running

• Mount Sinai School of Medicine — New York, New York, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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