AzTrials
AzTrials

Oropharyngeal CarcinomaPhase 2NCT03215719

Adaptive Treatment De-escalation in Favorable Risk HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

A Phase 2 study testing Standard Radiation Treatment, Dose-Deescalated Treatment and Cisplatinum in people with Oropharyngeal Carcinoma and HPV Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, run by NYU Langone Health at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This is a phase II clinical trial. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of deescalating chemoradiation treatment based on mid-treatment tumor response determined by rapid nodal shrinkage and clearance of circulating HPV plasma tumor DNA . Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Standard Radiation Treatment, Dose-Deescalated Treatment and Cisplatinum
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
120 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
18 Oct 2017to Dec 2028
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, which include the sites tonsil, base of tongue, soft palate, or posterior oropharyngeal wall. Histologic variants will be included (papillary squamous cell carcinoma and basaloid squamous cell carcinoma). Cytologic diagnosis from a cervical lymph node is sufficient in the presence of clinical evidence of a primary tumor in the oropharynx.
  • If the primary site is biopsied, Patient's tissue must be positive for p16 by immunohistochemical staining (>70% staining). Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens may be used as the sole diagnostic tissue if formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cell block material is not available for p16 immunohistochemistry.
  • Patients must have detectable HPV ctDNA Score Report at Screening or have a detectable baseline HPV ctDNA Score Report (Naveris test) if no primary site is biopsied. Must have detectable screening plasma HPV DNA (also referred to as ctHPV DNA).
  • Clinical stage T1-T3, N1-N2b (AJCC 7th Edition) with no distant metastases based on the following diagnostic workup:
  • Fiberoptic exam with laryngopharyngoscopy (mirror and/or fiberoptic and/or direct procedure) within 8 weeks prior to registration.
  • One of the following combinations of imaging is required within 8 weeks of registration:
Show all 20Show fewer
  • CT scan of the neck (with contrast) and a PET/CT of neck and chest (with or without contrast);
  • Or an MRI of the neck (with contrast) and a PET/CT of neck and chest (with or without contrast)
  • Note: A CT scan of the neck and/or a PET/CT performed for the purposes of radiation planning may serve as both staging and planning tools.
  • Patients must provide their personal smoking history prior to registration. Patients cannot have a cumulative personal smoking history that exceeds 10 pack-years.
  • Number of pack-years = [Frequency of smoking (number of cigarettes per day) x duration of cigarette smoking (years)] / 20
  • Note: Twenty cigarettes is considered equivalent to one pack. Cigar and pipe tobacco consumption is not included in calculating lifetime pack-years.
  • Zubrod Performance Status of 0-1 within 8 weeks prior to registration;
  • Adequate hematologic function within 2 weeks prior to registration, defined as follows:
  • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500 cells/mm3; Platelets ≥ 100,000 cells/mm3; Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dl; Note: the use of transfusion or other intervention to achieve Hgb ≥ 8.0 g/dl is acceptable.
  • Adequate renal function within 2 weeks prior to registration, defined as follows:
  • a.Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dl or creatinine clearance (CC) ≥ 50 ml/min determined by 24 hour collection or estimated by Cockcorft-Gault formula: i.CCr male = [(140 - age) x (wt in kg)] [(Serum Cr mg/dl) x (72)] ii.CCr female = 0.85 x (CrCl male)
  • Negative serum pregnancy test within 14 days prior to registration for women of childbearing potential;
  • Patients who are HIV positive but who have no prior AIDS-defining illness and have CD4 cells of at least 350/mm3 are eligible. HIV-positive patients must not have multi-drug resistant HIV infection or other concurrent AIDS-defining conditions. Patients must not be sero-positive for Hepatitis B (Hepatitis B surface antigen positive or anti-hepatitis B core antigen positive) or sero-positive for Hepatitis C (anti-Hepatitis C antibody positive). However, patients who are immune to hepatitis B (anti-Hepatitis B surface antibody positive) are eligible (e.g. patients immunized against hepatitis B).
  • The patient must provide study-specific informed consent prior to study entry.

Who cannot join

  • Missing or undetectable baseline plasma HPV DNA level
  • Cancers considered to be from an oral cavity site (oral tongue, floor of mouth, alveolar ridge, buccal or lip), or the nasopharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx, even if p16 positive;
  • Carcinoma of the neck of unknown primary site origin (even if p16 positive);
  • Distant metastasis or adenopathy below the clavicles;
  • Gross total excision of both primary and nodal disease; this includes tonsillectomy, local excision of primary site, and nodal excision that removes all clinically and radiographically evident disease.
  • Simultaneous primary cancers or separate bilateral primary tumor sites;
Show all 25Show fewer
  • Prior invasive malignancy (except non-melanomatous skin cancer) unless disease free for a minimum of 1095 days (3 years) (for example, carcinoma in situ of the breast, oral cavity, or cervix are all permissible);
  • Prior systemic chemotherapy for the study cancer; note that prior chemotherapy for a different cancer is allowable;
  • Prior radiotherapy to the region of the study cancer that would result in overlap of radiation therapy fields;
  • Severe, active co-morbidity defined as follows:
  • Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within the last 6 months;
  • Transmural myocardial infarction within the last 6 months;
  • Acute bacterial or fungal infection intravenous antibiotics at the time of registration;
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within 30 days of registration;
  • Hepatic insufficiency resulting in clinical jaundice and/or coagulation defects; note, however, that laboratory tests for liver function and coagulation parameters are not required for entry into this protocol other than those listed in 4.1.10.
  • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) based upon the current CDC definition with immune compromise greater than that noted in section 4.1.12; note, however, that HIV testing is not required for entry into this protocol. The need to exclude patients with AIDS from this protocol is necessary because the treatments involved in this protocol may be significantly immunosuppressive. Protocol-specific requirements may also exclude immune-compromised patients.
  • Pregnancy; this exclusion is necessary because the treatment in this study may be significantly teratogenic
  • Prior allergic reaction to cisplatin.
  • Exclusion Criteria for MRI: Normal MRI exclusion criteria will apply, including those on the following list. A standard MRI safety form will be used to identify potential conditions warranting exclusion.
  • Electrical implants such as cardiac pacemakers or perfusion pumps
  • Ferromagnetic implants such as aneurysm clips, surgical clips, prostheses, artificial heart, valves with steel parts, metal fragments, shrapnel, bullets, tattoos near the eye, or steel implants
  • Ferromagnetic objects such as jewelry or metal clips in clothing
  • Claustrophobia
  • History of seizures
  • Patients with GFR < 15 ml/min/1.73m2 or who are on dialysis will not have DCE-MRI scan. These patients will have conventional anatomical MRI without contrast.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • New York University School of Medicine

    New York, New York, 10016

    Kenneth Hu, 212-731-5003, Kenneth.Hu@nyulangone.org

    Kenneth Hu, MD

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Adaptive De-escalation of Radiation Therapy Dose in HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Carcinoma (ART) Demonstrating Favorable Mid-Treatment Response

This is a phase II clinical trial. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of deescalating chemoradiation treatment based on mid-treatment tumor response determined by rapid nodal shrinkage and clearance of circulating HPV plasma tumor DNA . The primary objective of this study is to evaluate progression-free survival at 2 years.

Read the detailed description

The secondary objectives will include 2-year loco-regional control and overall survival, quality of life, and late toxicity. Quality of life outcomes will be assessed with a validated, self-reported questionnaire. Late toxicity will be assessed using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Additionally, the prognostic value of positive HPV in salivary rinse as well as plasma at mid and post- treatment time points will be evaluated with a baseline evaluation pre-treatment. Radiomic analysis of pre-treatment imaging will be correlated with outcomes.

Being tested
Standard Radiation Treatment, Dose-Deescalated Treatment, Cisplatinum
Keywords
Radiation Therapy
Medical subject headings
Oropharyngeal Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Standard Radiation TreatmentRadiation

    An interval scan at 4 weeks to assess for a good response defined as >40% nodal shrinkage will stratify patients into receiving standard treatment (≤40% nodal shrinkage) or a dose-deescalated treatment regimen (>40% nodal shrinkage). Those with nodal shrinkage and clearance of circulating plasma HPV DNA shall undergo further treatment de-escalation.

  • Dose-Deescalated TreatmentRadiation

    Also called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

    Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced type of radiation therapy used to treat cancer and noncancerous tumors. IMRT uses advanced technology to manipulate photon and proton beams of radiation to conform to the shape of a tumor. Patients will be treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with megavoltage photons

  • CisplatinumDrug

    Standard of care chemotherapy

Study groups in NCT03215719
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Arm 1: Dose de-escalation (6 weeks)Experimental26 participants demonstrating a favorable response defined as >40% nodal shrinkage were eligible to receive the de-escalated treatment regimen (6 doses of weekly cisplatinum with 6 weeks of radiation to a total dose of 60Gy). This arm is closed and has been replaced with Arm 3.
Receives: Radiation: Dose-Deescalated Treatment; Drug: Cisplatinum
Arm 2: Standard radiation therapy + cisplatinum (7 weeks)Active comparatorParticipants will receive standard radiation therapy and cisplatinum for 7 weeks.
Receives: Radiation: Standard Radiation Treatment; Radiation: Dose-Deescalated Treatment; Drug: Cisplatinum
Arm 3: Dose de-escalation (6 weeks)ExperimentalFor participants who achieve (a) rapid nodal shrinkage on interval CT scan but slow / unknown ctHPV DNA clearance OR (b) slow nodal shrinkage on interval CT scan but rapid ctHPV DNA clearance at week 4, radiation treatment will be de-escalated to a total dose of 60Gy/6 weeks with 6 doses of weekly (cisplatinum). This arm replaced Arm 1.
Receives: Radiation: Dose-Deescalated Treatment; Drug: Cisplatinum
Arm 4: Dose de-escalation (5 weeks)ExperimentalFor participants who achieve both a favorable nodal response (>40%) on interval CT scan as well as rapid ctHPV DNA clearance at week 4, radiation treatment will be further de-escalated to a total dose of 50 Gy/5 weeks with 5 doses of weekly cisplatinum).
Receives: Radiation: Dose-Deescalated Treatment; Drug: Cisplatinum

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Progression-free survival at 2 years

    The non-inferiority (NI) analysis will be conducted on the pooled de-escalated cohort (Arms 3+4 combined) to evaluate whether the 2-year PFS is acceptable relative to the historical benchmark. For Arm 3 and Arm 4 separately, Kaplan-Meier curves and 2-year PFS estimates with 95% confidence intervals will be provided. Patients who do not experience progression of disease and have not died will be censored on the date of last follow up.

    Measured: 2 Years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted12 Jul 2017
  2. Study start18 Oct 2017
  3. Primary completionDec 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Sequential
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
120 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03215719
Sponsor's protocol ID
17-00330
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
11 Jul 2017
Last updated
6 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Standard Radiation Treatment, Dose-Deescalated Treatment and Cisplatinum in people with Oropharyngeal Carcinoma and HPV Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, run by NYU Langone Health at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 20 inclusion and 25 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Kenneth Hu (212-731-5003, Kenneth.Hu@nyulangone.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Progression-free survival at 2 years (time frame: 2 Years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Jan 2026.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in