Phase II Trial of Pemetrexed-Based Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy in Previously Irradiated Head and Neck Cancer Patients
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01172470 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : July 29, 2010
Last Update Posted : January 17, 2014
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Head and Neck Cancer | Drug: Gemcitabine Drug: Pemetrexed Drug: Carboplatin | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 34 participants |
Allocation: | Non-Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Phase II Trial of Pemetrexed-Based Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy in Previously Irradiated Head and Neck Cancer Patients |
Study Start Date : | June 2005 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | June 2007 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | July 2010 |

- Drug: Gemcitabine
4 doses of induction chemotherapy every 2weeks, IV (in the vein)
- Drug: Pemetrexed
Induction Chemotherapy:
4 doses of induction chemotherapy every 2weeks(Days 1, 15, 28, and 42), through an infusion for approximately 10 minutes.
Chemoradiotherapy:
Day 1,22, and 43through IV infusion over a period of 10 minutes
- Drug: Carboplatin
Chemoradiotherapy:
Day 1, 22 and 4 through IV infusion over a period of 1 hour.
- Primary objective is to determine 1-year survival of previously irradiated Head/Neck Cancer patients with loco-regional recurrent disease treated with induction chemotherapy with pemetrexed and gemcitabine followed by concomitant pemetrexed, carboplat [ Time Frame: 1-3 years ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- All previously irradiated patients with recurrent head and neck cancer with no clinically measurable distant disease or those patients in whom distant disease was of low volume and local and regional palliation is clinically warranted. Low volume metastatic disease is defined as asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic disease that, according to physician judgment and without therapy for locoregionally recurrent disease, is unlikely to effect the subject's quality or quantity of life.
- Histologic or cytological documentation of recurrent head and neck cancer requiring regional therapy.
- Prior radiation therapy completed > 4 months before to study entry, if patients have recovered from all side effects grade 1.
- Predominance of disease that is amenable to radiotherapy.
- Measurable disease prior to induction chemotherapy.
- Age >18 years
- Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1 (Karnofsky > 70%).
- Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:
Leukocytes >3,000/ul Absolute neutrophil count >1,500/ul Platelets >100,000/ul Total bilirubin < 1.5X institutional upper limit of normal AST (SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) < 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal Creatinine Clearance (CrCl) > 45 mL/min
The standard Cockcroft and Gault formula (based on actual weight) or the measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using the appropriate radiolabeled method (51-CrEDTA or Tc99m-DTPA) must be used to calculate CrCl for enrollment or dosing. The same method used at baseline should be used throughout the study. Insufficient numbers of patients have been studied with creatinine clearance <45 mL/min to give a dose recommendation. Therefore, pemetrexed should not be administered to patients whose creatinine clearance is <45 mL/min.
Although ibuprofen and other non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can be administered with pemetrexed in patients with normal renal function (creatinine clearance 80 mL/min), caution should be used when administering NSAID concurrently with pemetrexed to patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance from 45 to 79 mL/min). Patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency should avoid taking NSAID with short elimination half lives (e.g. ibuprofen) for a period of 2 days before, the day of, and 2 days following administration of pemetrexed. In the absence of data regarding potential interaction between pemetrexed and NSAID with longer half lives, all patients taking these NSAID should interrupt dosing for at least 5 days before, the day of, and 2 days following pemetrexed administration. If concomitant administration of an NSAID is necessary, patients should be monitored closely for toxicity, especially myelosuppression, renal, and gastrointestinal toxicity.
- The presence of a significant infection or another severe complicating medical illness may constitute a contraindication to entrance on this protocol.
- Pregnancy is an absolute contraindication for this treatment protocol.
- Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
- Ability to swallow vitamins and dexamethasone or willingness to use a feeding tube to ingest these agents
Exclusion Criteria:
Previously untreated patients are not eligible
Patients who have had chemotherapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier.
Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents.
History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical composition agents used in the study.
Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01172470
United States, Illinois | |
The University of Chicago Medical Center | |
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60653 |
Principal Investigator: | Ezra Cohen, MD | The University of Chicago Medical Center |
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | University of Chicago |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01172470 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
13881B |
First Posted: | July 29, 2010 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | January 17, 2014 |
Last Verified: | January 2014 |
Recurrent head and neck cancer larynx, lip, oral cavity and pharynx |
Head and Neck Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Gemcitabine Carboplatin Pemetrexed Antineoplastic Agents Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic Antimetabolites |
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