Reduced-intensity Therapy for Oropharyngeal Cancer in Non-smoking HPV-16 Positive Patients

Summary

Taking into account the excellent prognosis of patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer with \< 10 pack-year smoking, the investigators hypothesize that reducing the intensity of therapy for these patients will reduce treatment sequelae, notably long-term dysphagia, without affecting their cure rates. The main Aim is to assess whether reducing treatment intensity, by replacing concurrent chemotherapy with cetuximab, will indeed achieve improved long-term toxicity. The primary objectives include the following: to confirm that reducing treatment intensity in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer and \< 10 pack-year smoking history by replacing concurrent chemotherapy with concurrent cetuximab, does not significantly increase the proportion of patients whose tumors recur, compared to our previous experience in similar patients receiving chemo-RT and to compare the toxicity in patients receiving cetuximab-RT to similar patients treated with 7 weeks of chemotherapy concurrent with RT ("standard therapy") in UMCC 2-21.

Timeline

Start

2011-01

Primary completion

2019-09

Completion

2019-09

Drugs

Indications