National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute
NCI Home Cancer Topics Clinical Trials Cancer Statistics Research & Funding News About NCI
Clinical Trials (PDQ®)
Patient VersionHealth Professional Version
Last Modified: 10/16/2008     First Published: 3/24/2004  
Page Options
Print This Page  Print This Page
E-Mail This Document  E-Mail This Document
Quick Links
Director's Corner

Dictionary of Cancer Terms

NCI Drug Dictionary

Funding Opportunities

NCI Publications

Advisory Boards and Groups

Science Serving People

Español
NCI Highlights
High Dose Chemotherapy Prolongs Survival for Leukemia

Prostate Cancer Study Shows No Benefit for Selenium, Vitamin E

Past Highlights
Phase III Randomized Study of Parotid-Sparing Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Versus Conventional Radiotherapy in Patients With Oropharyngeal or Hypopharyngeal Cancer at High Risk for Radiation-Induced Xerostomia

Alternate Title
Basic Trial Information
Objectives
Entry Criteria
Expected Enrollment
Outcomes
Outline
Trial Contact Information
Registry Information

Alternate Title

Parotid-Sparing Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Compared With Conventional Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Oropharyngeal or Hypopharyngeal Cancer Who Are at High Risk of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia

Basic Trial Information

Phase
Type
Status
Age
Sponsor
Protocol IDs

Phase III


Supportive care, Treatment


Closed


Not specified


Other


ICR-PARSPORT
EU-20304, ISRCTN48243537, MREC-03679, NCT00081029

Objectives

Primary

  1. Compare the proportion of patients with oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer with xerostomia of ≥ grade 2 at one year after treatment with parotid-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy vs conventional radiotherapy.

Secondary

  1. Compare the degree of xerostomia by quantitative measurements of stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow in patients treated with these regimens.
  2. Compare quality of life in patients treated with these regimens.
  3. Compare local and regional tumor control, time to tumor progression, and overall survival of patients treated with these regimens.
  4. Compare acute and late side effects of these regimens in these patients.

Entry Criteria

Disease Characteristics:

  • Histologically confirmed oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer
    • Squamous cell or undifferentiated carcinoma
    • Stage T1-4, N0-3, M0 disease


  • Primary tumor requiring radical radiotherapy with parallel opposed lateral fields and bilateral cervical lymph node irradiation
    • Radiotherapy is either the primary therapy or post-operative (adjuvant irradiation) treatment


  • High-risk for radiation-induced xerostomia with conventional radiotherapy due to irradiation of the majority of both parotid glands*

     [Note: *Estimated mean dose to both parotid glands is greater than 24 Gy by conventional radiotherapy]



  • No bilateral N3 nodal disease


  • No huge primary tumor (exceeding 10 cm in diameter)


  • No contralateral lymphadenopathy adjacent to or involving contralateral parotid gland making parotid sparing impossible


  • No tumor at the base of the tongue where sparing of contralateral parapharyngeal space is contraindicated


Prior/Concurrent Therapy:

Biologic therapy

  • Not specified

Chemotherapy

  • Prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy allowed
  • No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

  • Not specified

Radiotherapy

  • See Disease Characteristics
  • No prior radiotherapy to the head and neck region
  • No concurrent brachytherapy

Surgery

  • See Disease Characteristics

Other

  • No concurrent prophylactic amifostine or pilocarpine

Patient Characteristics:

Age

  • Not specified

Performance status

  • WHO 0-1

Life expectancy

  • Not specified

Hematopoietic

  • Not specified

Hepatic

  • Not specified

Renal

  • Not specified

Other

  • Able to undergo quality of life and salivary flow measurements (dependent on cognitive aptitude and long availability)
  • Able to complete self-assessed quality of life questionnaire
  • No prior or concurrent illness that would preclude study participation
  • No pre-existing salivary gland pathology interfering with saliva production
  • No other prior malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer

Expected Enrollment

84

A total of 84 patients (42 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome(s)

Proportion of patients suffering xerostomia ≥ grade 2 by LENT/SOMA late toxicity scale at 1 year

Secondary Outcome(s)

Degree of xerostomia by salivary flow at 1 year
Xerosomia-related quality of life by Modified Xerostomia questionnaire at 1 year
Quality of Life by EORTC QLQ C30 v.3.0 and QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires at 1 year
Local and regional tumor control by a quantitative description of sites of relapse at 1 year
Time to tumor progression at 1 year
Overall survival at 1 year
Acuteside effects of radiotherapy by NCI CTCAE scale v. 3.0 at 1 year
Late side effects of radiotherapy by NCI CTCAE scale v3.0, LENT SOMA and RTOG at 1 year

Outline

This is a randomized, controlled, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center and site of disease (oropharynx vs hypopharynx). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

  • Arm I: Patients undergo parotid-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks.


  • Arm II: Patients undergo conventional radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks.


Salivary flow measurements are performed at baseline, at week 4 during radiotherapy, and then at 2 weeks and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the completion of radiotherapy.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, at 2 weeks, and then at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the completion of radiotherapy.

Patients are followed monthly for 1 year, every 2 months for 1 year, and then every 6 months for 3 years.

Peer Reviewed and Funded or Endorsed by Cancer Research UK

Trial Contact Information

Trial Lead Organizations

Royal Marsden - London

Chris Nutting, Protocol chair
Ph: 44-20-7808-2586
Email: Chris.Nutting@rmh.nthames.nhs.uk

Registry Information
Official Title A Multicentre Randomised Study Of Parotid Sparing Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Versus Conventional Radiotherapy In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer
Trial Start Date 2004-01-01
Trial Completion Date 2013-01-31 (estimated)
Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00081029
Date Submitted to PDQ 2004-02-23
Information Last Verified 2008-03-30

Note: The purpose of most clinical trials listed in this database is to test new cancer treatments, or new methods of diagnosing, screening, or preventing cancer. Because all potentially harmful side effects are not known before a trial is conducted, dose and schedule modifications may be required for participants if they develop side effects from the treatment or test. The therapy or test described in this clinical trial is intended for use by clinical oncologists in carefully structured settings, and may not prove to be more effective than standard treatment. A responsible investigator associated with this clinical trial should be consulted before using this protocol.

Back to TopBack to Top

A Service of the National Cancer Institute
Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health USA.gov