Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

A first-in-human sttudy using PCA062 in patients with p-CAD positive solid tumors.

This is an open-label, single arm, multicenter phase 2 study. The study is to evaluate the activity of a combination therapy with nal-IRI (PEP02, MM-398, Onivyde®) plus 5-FU and leucovorin in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of head & neck and esophagus failed to platinum-based treatment in prior chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The primary endpoint is to assess the objective tumor response rate (ORR). Eligible patients will be enrolled to receive combination therapy of nal-IRI plus 5-FU and Leucovorin on day 1, every 2 weeks. Every 2 weeks will be counted as one cycle. Treatment will continue until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or other condition meeting the discontinuation criteria.

This clinical trial is for participants with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who are scheduled to have their tumor surgically removed. The study involves obtaining baseline tissue from a clinical biopsy or research biopsy and measurement of circulating tumor cells before surgery to determine whether AXL protein expression pre-treatment correlates to clinical outcomes (change in tumor size) after two doses of cetuximab. The importance of this study is to describe if AXL expression can be used as a biomarker to predict clinical response to cetuximab (CTX) treatment.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of complex decongestive physiotherapy (CDP) and home programs on internal/external lymphedema, staging, fibrosis, and three-dimensional (3D) surface scanning and volume evaluation in head and neck lymphedema. Twenty-one patients were randomly divided into three groups: CDP; home program including self manual lymph drainage (MLD) and exercises; and control. CDP included MLD drainage, compression, exercise, and skin care. Self-MLD and exercises were performed by home program group patients. Assessment methods were applied at baseline and 4 weeks later for all groups. MD. Anderson Cancer Center Head and Neck Lymphedema Protocol was implemented to evaluate head and neck external lymphedema, staging, and fibrosis. An Artec Eva 3D scanner and the Autodesk ReCap Photo Studio software were used to determine and calculate the volume of the head and neck region via 3D surface scanning. Head and neck external lymphedema and fibrosis assessment criteria were performed to evaluate visible soft tissue edema and the degree of stiffness. To assess internal lymphedema, Patterson's scale was applied using fiber-optic endoscopic imaging.

Smoking cessation and relapse prevention represent and important opportunity to improve cancer survival rates, reduce the risk of cancer treatment complication, and improve the quality of life of patients with and survivors of cancer. Previous studies showed that repetitive TMS (rTMS) reduced cue craving to smoking and treat nicotine dependent smokers. Recently one study completed by our team demonstrated that 10 sessions of rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) reduced cigarette consumption and cue craving, and also increased quitting rate on target quit date in nicotine dependent smokers. Thus, we propose conducting a controlled, double-blind trial comparing the effect of treatments of active rTMS and sham rTMS on cigarette abstinence days, cigarette consumption and smoking craving during a 7-days of quit attempt period in 20 nicotine-dependent patients with cancer. Specific aims are: Aim 1: Assess a feasibility of the rTMS for smoking cessation in cancer patients. Aim 2: Obtain preliminary estimates of whether one-week active rTMS of left DLPFC tends to be more efficacious than sham rTMS during a 7-days of quit attempt laboratory model period increasing abstinence days, and also decreasing cigarette consumption and cue-elicited craving in cancer patients with smoking.

The aim of the present study is to collect data on the feasibility of a preventative/therapeutic approach of radiation-induced oral mucositis with benzydamine oromucosal solution (mouthwash) in patients with head and neck cancer.

In head-neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) malnutrition is associated with impaired quality of life, reduced survival, more frequent treatment interruptions and dose reductions. The international guidelines recommend early nutritional support in the presence of nutritional risk, as it allows preventing or treating malnutrition and improving the clinical outcomes, as well as the tolerability of oncologic treatments. Previous nutritional intervention trials in head-neck cancer patients have been conducted on small samples and did not clarify the role of oral nutritional supplements (ONS). Accordingly, although current guidelines recommend as grade A the use of ONS associated with dietary counseling for head-neck cancer patients undergoing RT, the efficacy of this nutritional intervention still needs to be evaluated in adequately sized and randomized clinical trials.

A first-in-human evaluation of SYN004, a monoclonal antibody that binds to the EGF receptor on cancer cells. Cetuximab, a marketed antibody, has been shown to be effective by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells thereby prolonging the life of patients who have received it. SYN004 is a closely related monoclonal antibody also binds to the EGF receptor in the same way. SYN004 might also inhibit cancer cells and prolong life but has been engineered to avoid some of the hypersensitivity reactions known to provoked by cetuximab.

Rationale: Radiation-induced parotid gland dysfunction, often leading to xerostomia is the most-frequently occurring side-effect with a major impact on patient-reported quality of life after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC). Therefore, treatments for HNC are currently optimized to minimize the mean dose to the parotid glands. Though this resulted in a significant reduction of toxicity, 30%-40% of the patients still develop sustained parotid gland dysfunction and xerostomia. However, in animal studies the investigators found that the dose to the sub-volume of the gland containing the parotid gland stem cells is a better predictor for dysfunction than the mean dose to the whole gland. Subsequently, this finding was confirmed in a retrospective analysis in patients. Therefore, a reduction of dose specifically in this sub-volume of the parotid glands of patients is expected to further reduce the risk of parotid gland dysfunction and xerostomia. Objective: To test the hypothesis that parotid gland stem cell sparing intensity modulated radiotherapy in HNC patients reduces the risk of parotid gland dysfunction and xerostomia as compared to conventional parotid gland sparing intensity modulated radiotherapy. Study design: Double-blind prospective randomized trial (51 patients per arm). Study population: Patients treated for tumours in the head-and-neck region with curative radiotherapy, with or without the addition of chemotherapy or cetuximab. Intervention: Patients randomized into the experimental arm will receive a treatment in which the radiation dose to the parotid gland is re-distributed to minimize dose to the sub-volume containing the stem cells, while keeping the same mean dose to the parotid gland as a whole. Main study parameters/endpoints: Primary endpoint is parotid gland salivary secretion. Secondary endpoints are patient- and physician-rated xerostomia.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancer can be treated with a less aggressive regimen of radiation therapy and chemotherapy (paclitaxel) after initially receiving two cycles of chemotherapy (carboplatin/paclitaxel).