Treatment Study for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

This phase II trial studies how well radiation therapy with or without cisplatin works in treating patients with stage III-IVA squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who have undergone surgery. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known if radiation therapy is more effective with or without cisplatin in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

In order to participate you must meet the following criteria:

• Pathologically proven diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (including variants such as verrucous carcinoma, spindle cell carcinoma, carcinoma not otherwise specified [NOS]) of the head/neck (oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx); pathologic stage III or IVA (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] 8): T3-T4a, N0-3, M0 or T1-T2, N1-3, M0
• Patient has undergone total resection of the primary tumor with curative intent
  • NOTE: Patient is to be pre-registered to screening (Step 0) and tissue submitted to Foundation Medicine as soon as possible after surgery in order to meet the 8 week deadline to register the patient to Step 1 after surgery; full assay minimum turn-around time is 17-24 days
• For oropharynx primary tumors, the patient must have negative human papillomavirus (HPV) status of the tumor as determined by p16 protein expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC)
• Patients with, per the operative and/or pathology report, positive margin(s) (tumor present at the cut or inked edge of the tumor) which is not superseded by an additional margin of tumor-negative tissue, nodal extracapsular extension, and/or gross residual disease after surgery are not eligible
• A paraffin-embedded surgical tumor tissue specimen has been located is available for shipment to Foundation Medicine, Inc. following pre-registration
  • NOTE: Complete the EA3132-specific FoundationOne requisition form
• 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 must not have received chemotherapy or investigational therapy within two years of surgical resection of the primary tumor
• Patient must not have had previous irradiation to the head and neck that would result in overlap in radiation fields for the current disease
• Patients with recurrent disease or multiple primaries are ineligible

This is a partial list of eligibility requirements. To inquire about your eligibility, please call the contact number provided. If you wish to inquire via email, please include the title of the study in your message.