Trial of Radiotherapy and Panitumumab in Salivary Gland Malignancies
Status:
Withdrawn
Trial end date:
2011-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Standard therapy for high-risk or locally advanced salivary gland malignancies is surgery
followed by postoperative radiation therapy. Retrospective studies have shown the superiority
of combined modality therapy compared to surgery alone for patients with advanced T or N
stage. Despite the addition of postoperative radiation therapy, the five-year survival for
locally advanced salivary gland malignancies is poor (less than 60%). In salivary gland
malignancies, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed in 25-85%; in certain
histological types, like salivary duct carcinomas, the expression is higher. EGFR is a
promising target of anticancer therapy. In squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, a
phase III trial utilizing cetuximab added to radiation therapy improved both locoregional
control and overall survival compared to radiation alone. Panitumumab is a novel, human, IgG2
EGFR monoclonal antibody that may be better tolerated and more efficacious than cetuximab.
Here, the investigators suggest that the addition of panitumumab to standard radiotherapy in
locally-advanced salivary gland malignancies will improve recurrence-free survival (RFS).