Angiogenic and EGFR Blockade With Curative Chemoradiation for Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2010-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent chemotherapy represents the state of the art in curative
intent treatment for locally advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck. Tumor hypoxia
and high levels of angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) are associated with treatment
failure. Preclinical models reveal that radiotherapy itself may induce tumor secretion of
vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Curability may consequently be reduced by multiple
mechanisms. Over-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) also occurs commonly
and increases the risk of treatment failure. The addition of EGFR blockade to RT alone
increases the chance of a cure. Concurrent VEGF and EGFR blockade could be synergistic with
one another and improve the effectiveness of concurrent chemoradiation for advanced head and
neck cancer.
This study will add angiogenic and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) blockade into an
established program of curative intent concurrent chemoradiation for locally advanced head
and neck cancer. The safety and effectiveness of delivering the drugs bevacizumab and Tarceva
in conjunction with twice daily irradiation and concurrent cisplatin (CDDP) chemotherapy will
be determined.