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Dose-finding Study of Metformin With Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

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University of Cincinnati

Status and phase

Completed
Phase 1

Conditions

Head and Neck Cancer

Treatments

Drug: Metformin
Drug: Cisplatin
Radiation: Radiation Therapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02325401
UCCI-HN-14-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research study is to test the safety of adding metformin to standard of care. The standard of care treatment will be cisplatin once every 3 weeks for 3 treatments and radiation for 7 weeks.

Metformin is a medication that is currently used to treat diabetes. Increasing amounts of metformin will be given to groups of patients already receiving normal treatment for their cancer to see if metformin causes any good effects by killing your cancer or bad effects (side effects).

Full description

Patients were registered by contacting the University of Cincinnati Clinical Trials Office. Patients must be registered and consent obtained prior to initiation of any protocol therapy.

Treatment was administered on an outpatient basis. Adverse events and potential risks for metformin and cisplatin and radiation were reported.

Patients must have screening labs performed within 2 weeks of start of treatment including a complete blood count, liver function tests, metabolic renal panel including magnesium, vitamin B12 level, lactate, and C-peptide. Renal panel must be verified within 24 hours of cisplatin administration. They must fulfill inclusion criteria.

The recommended starting dose of metformin in diabetic patients is 500mg orally twice a day which can be escalated by 500mg increments weekly as tolerated with the maximum recommended daily dose of 2550mg.

Cisplatin was given either before or after the radiation therapy fraction that is given on the same day. If radiation is held for more than 2 days (for any reason), cisplatin may be held as well until radiation resumes.

The prescribed radiotherapy dose was be 70 Gy in 2 Gy once-daily fraction size (total of 35 fractions).

Enrollment

20 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Locally advanced squamous cell cancer of the head and neck, stage III or IV disease (T1-2, N2a-3 or T3-4).
  • Measurable disease
  • No prior chemotherapy or radiation for head and neck squamous cell cancer
  • Life expectancy of greater than 3 months.
  • Adequate labs

Exclusion criteria

  • Known metastatic disease.
  • Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  • History of allergic reactions attributed to metformin or other agents used in study.
  • Known diagnosis of diabetes requiring insulin for control.
  • Administration of metformin within last 4 weeks.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

N/A

Interventional model

Single Group Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

20 participants in 1 patient group

Metformin with Chemoradiation
Experimental group
Description:
Metformin administered orally daily to start one week prior to Cisplatin and Radiation Therapy. Metformin dose is escalating.
Treatment:
Radiation: Radiation Therapy
Drug: Cisplatin
Drug: Metformin

Trial documents
2

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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