Description – This phase II/III trial compares the effect of the combination of high-dose cisplatin every three weeks and radiation therapy versus low-dose cisplatin weekly and radiation therapy for the treatment of patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, 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. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. This study is being done to find out if low-dose cisplatin given weekly together with radiation therapy is the same or better than high-dose cisplatin given every 3 weeks together with radiation therapy in treating patients with head and neck cancer.



Clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05050162

NRG-HN009 - Randomized Phase II/III Trial of Radiation with Cisplatin at 100 mg/m2 Every Three Weeks Versus Radiation with Weekly Cisplatin at 40 mg/m2 for Patients with Locoregionally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN)

Description  – This phase III trial compares the effect of adding cetuximab to pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab alone in treating patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent) and/or that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). Cetuximab is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It binds to a protein called EGFR, which is found on some types of tumor cells. This may help keep tumor cells from growing. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the tumor, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving cetuximab and pembrolizumab together may be more effective at treating patients with recurrent and/or metastatic HNSCC than pembrolizumab alone.



Clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06589804

Alliance-A092205 - Randomized Phase III Trial of Pembrolizumab vs. Pembrolizumab/Cetuximab in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Platinum Refractory Disease

Description  – This phase II trial studies how well radiation therapy with or without cisplatin works in treating patients with stage III-IVA squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who have undergone surgery. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, 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. It is not yet known if radiation therapy is more effective with or without cisplatin in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.



Clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02734537

ECOG-EA3132 - Phase II Randomized Trial of Radiotherapy with or Without Cisplatin for Surgically Resected Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN) with TP53 Sequencing

Description  – This phase III trial compares the effect of cabozantinib versus combination dabrafenib and trametinib for the treatment of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer that does not respond to treatment (refractory) and which expresses a BRAF V600E mutation. Cabozantinib is in a class of medications called receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It binds to and blocks the action of several enzymes which are often over-expressed in a variety of tumor cell types. This may help stop or slow the growth of tumor cells and blood vessels the tumor needs to survive. Dabrafenib is an enzyme inhibitor that binds to and inhibits the activity of a protein called B-raf, which may inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells which contain a mutated BRAF gene. Trametinib is also an enzyme inhibitor. It binds to and inhibits the activity of proteins called MEK 1 and 2, which play a key role in activating pathways that regulate cell growth. This may inhibit the growth of tumor cells mediated by these pathways. The usual approach for patients with thyroid cancer is targeted therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib. This trial may help researchers decide which treatment option (cabozantinib alone or dabrafenib in combination with trametinib) is safer and/or more effective in treating patients with refractory BRAF V600E-mutated differentiated thyroid cancer.

Clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06475989

ECOG-EA3231 - A Randomized Phase III Study of BRAF-Targeted Therapy vs Cabozantinib in RAI-Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer with BRAF V600Em