Oral Cavity Cancer clinical trials at UCSD

This randomized phase III trial studies chemotherapy to see how well it works with or without bevacizumab in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has come back (recurrent) or that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, cisplatin, carboplatin, and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Bevacizumab may also make tumor cells more sensitive to chemotherapy and stop the growth of head and neck cancer by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy is more effective when given with or without bevacizumab in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

This is a prospective, multi-center, open-label, non-randomized, multi-arm phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy of combination therapy with pembrolizumab and cetuximab for patients with recurrent/metastatic HNSCC. There will be four patient cohorts, including a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-naïve, cetuximab-naïve arm (Cohort 1), a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-refractory, cetuximab-naïve arm (Cohort 2), a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-refractory, cetuximab-refractory arm (Cohort 3), and a cutaneous HNSCC arm (Cohort 4). A total of 83 patients (33 in Cohort 1, 25 in Cohort 2, 15 in Cohort 3, and 10 in Cohort 4) will be eligible to enroll. Patients will be enrolled at 4 sites: UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, UC Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, and University of Washington Siteman Cancer Center.

This is a single-arm, multi-site, open-label trial of pembrolizumab (MK-3475) used in combination with standard, cisplatin-based, definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with stage III-IVB squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Approximately 39 patients with Stage III-IVB SCCHN will be enrolled to evaluate both the safety and efficacy of this novel combination. Subjects will not be randomized and will all receive the study treatment. Treatment will consist of a loading dose of pembrolizumab 200 mg IV given 7 days prior to initiation of CRT (day-7). CRT with cisplatin 40 mg/m2 IV weekly and head and neck radiation at 70 Gy fractionated at 2 Gy once daily over 35 days, will begin on day 1. CRT will end on approximately day 46-50. Pembrolizumab 200 mg IV will continue following CRT in an adjuvant fashion starting on day 57 for an additional 5 doses, as tolerated, through day 141. Subjects will be evaluated for response following treatment.