Study of Chemotherapy Prior to Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy in Patients With HPV Associated Cancer of the Oral Cavity
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2011-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This study looks at the use of three cycles of chemotherapy given prior to radiation therapy
in patients with cancer of the oral cavity and evidence of prior exposure to Human Papilloma
Virus (HPV). Patients with cancer of the oral cavity who have evidence of exposure to HPV
have a better prognosis than those who do not have such evidence of exposure to HPV. The main
hypothesis of this study is that using three cycles of chemotherapy prior to embarking on
radiation therapy will allow the use of reduced doses of radiation therapy and, therefore,
less radiation induced side-effects. The primary objective is to determine the activity of
this pre-radiation chemotherapy strategy along with reduced dose levels of radiation with or
without chemotherapy during the radiation phase. The effectiveness of the strategy will be
assessed at three months following the completion of the radiation therapy phase and also at
two years following completion of the radiation therapy.