Open label, non randomized, interventional study to evaluate response rate after induction therapy with docetaxel and cisplatin in unresectable locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (NCT02061631).

Abstract

e17513 Background: This single arm, multicenter, phase 2 study was conducted to evaluate overall response (OR) rate and safety of subjects treated with induction regimen docetaxel + cisplatin, followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT), in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity (stage III or IV) without distant metastasis. Methods: Induction regimen consisted of docetaxel 75mg/m2 and cisplatin 75mg/m2 on day 1; cycles were repeated every 21 days for 3 cycles with supportive G-CSF treatment beginning at first cycle. CRT consisted of weekly cisplatin 30mg/m2 for 4 weeks starting concomitantly with 60 Gy/30 fractions of conventional radiotherapy for 6 weeks. Primary and secondary efficacy criteria were OR rate at 3 weeks after cycle 3 and 8 weeks after last cycle of CRT respectively. Results: Three centers enrolled 35 patients. Primary efficacy endpoint: OR rate of evaluable patients (n = 27) was 88.9% (95% CI:71.9-96.2). Complete response (CR) was not achieved by any patients; partial response (PR) was achieved by 88.9% (24 of 27). From intent to treat (ITT) analysis OR rate was 68.6% (24 of 35). Secondary efficacy endpoint: OR rate of evaluable patients (n = 19) was 78.9% (95% CI:56.7-91.5) with CR and PR achieved by 2 (10.5%) and 13 (68.4%) patients respectively. Progressive disease (PD) was present in 4 patients. From ITT analysis CR rate was 5.7% (2 of 35) and OR rate was 42.9% (15 of 35). During induction most common hematological toxicity was leukopenia in 8 patients, with ≥Grade 3 leukopenia in 3 patients. Common non hematologic toxicities (all grades) were nausea, stomatitis and alopecia in 21, 18 and 18 patients respectively. During CRT most common adverse events were alopecia, stomatitis and nausea in 14, 13 and 13 patients respectively. Overall, leukopenia met seriousness criteria in 4 patients, and there was 1 case of febrile neutropenia. Overall, 7 patients died. Fatal events were not associated to investigational drugs. Conclusions: We observed an ITT response rate of 68.6% with docetaxel + cisplatin, suggestive of an active induction regimen with manageable safety profile. Clinical trial information: NCT02061631.