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CompletedNCT00006033Updated May 30, 2013

Interleukin-2 Gene or Methotrexate in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer

A Phase 2 interventional study of gene therapy and interleukin-2 gene in Head and Neck Cancer, sponsored by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-05-30.

Sponsored by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

RATIONALE: Inserting the gene for interleukin-2 into head and neck cancer cells may make the body build an immune response to kill the tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether the interleukin-2 gene is more effective than methotrexate for advanced head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of the interleukin-2 gene with that of methotrexate in treating patients who have recurrent or refractory stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.

Read the detailed description

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the efficacy of interleukin-2 gene versus methotrexate in patients with recurrent or refractory squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. II. Determine the safety and tolerability of interleukin-2 gene in these patients. III. Compare the quality of life of these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms. Arm I: Patients receive interleukin-2 gene intratumorally on days 1 and 4 of week 1, and then once weekly for 12 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Arm II: Patients receive methotrexate IV once weekly. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Quality of life is assessed at the beginning of the study and at weeks 5, 13, 17 and 25. Patients are followed every 2-3 weeks for up to 18 weeks.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 80 patients (40 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study.

02

Conditions studied

  • Head and Neck Cancer

Keywords

  • recurrent metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary
  • stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity
  • stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity
  • recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity
  • stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx
  • stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx
  • recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx
  • stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx
  • stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx
  • recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx
  • stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx
  • stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx
  • recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx
  • stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
  • stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
  • recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
  • stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity
  • stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity
  • recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity
03

In context

Head and Neck Neoplasms

2,403 studies on the registry are indexed under Head and Neck Neoplasms; 559 are open to participants now.

Browse Head and Neck Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute is the lead sponsor of 539 studies on the registry; 74 are open to participants now.

Of its 99 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 57 (58%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed recurrent or refractory stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck Failed first line chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent disease Measurable disease accessible to direct injection Tumor must not be involving major blood vessels or obstructing the airway

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: At least 3 months Hematopoietic: Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: No active liver disease Transaminases no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN OR Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease Pulmonary: No respiratory disease sufficient enough to influence oxygenation of arterial blood Other: Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception At least 2 weeks since prior infection No concurrent infection No active or clinically relevant viral illness No clinical condition (e.g., effusions or ascites) that would preclude methotrexate administration No known hypersensitivity to antimetabolite chemotherapeutic agents No rheumatic or autoimmune disease No other concurrent malignancies requiring treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No prior antitumor therapy with recombinant DNA products including viral based gene therapy or bacterial plasmids At least 28 days since prior immunotherapy and at least 14 days since complete recovery At least 14 days since complete recovery from prior antiviral therapy No concurrent hematopoietic growth factors (filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)) No concurrent recombinant interleukin-2 therapy Prior G-CSF or GM-CSF adjunct therapy allowed Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 28 days since prior chemotherapy and at least 14 days since complete recovery No prior methotrexate Endocrine therapy: No concurrent corticosteroids Radiotherapy: At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy and at least 14 days since complete recovery Surgery: No planned surgical resection Other: At least 14 days since complete recovery from prior antibiotic therapy No concurrent high dose nonsteroidal antiinflammatories or immunosuppressive drugs At least 30 days since prior investigational drugs

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment

Interventions

  • Biologicalgene therapy
  • Biologicalinterleukin-2 gene
06

Study locations

1 site
  • H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
    Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
07

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Jun 2000 and a completion of Jun 2004. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 5, 2000
First posted
Jun 21, 2004
Start
Jun 2000
CompletionActual
Jun 2004
Last update
May 30, 2013
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 30, 2013, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00006033
First posted
Jun 21, 2004
Start date
Jun 2000
Completion
Jun 2004
Last update
May 30, 2013

Study contacts

Thomas V. McCaffrey, MD, PhD
study chair · H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2001. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Studies of the drug tested here: Methotrexate

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