Reversing External-beam Radiotherapy-associated Fibrosis Syndrome: an Interventional Bayesian Adaptive Randomized-controlled Orphan Drug Platform Trial for Orodental Sequelae (Reverse-fibrose)

Overview

To find out if adding medication can help treat or prevent lymphedema and/or fibrosis related to radiation therapy, in survivors of head and neck cancer. Researchers will compare these drugs to find the most effective therapy for preventing or limiting these side effects.

Detailed description

Primary Objectives

1. Determine the relative utility of candidate agents to reduce clinician-rated radiation lymphedema/fibrosis

1. Hyp 1: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportional lower rate of Common Toxicity Criteria- Adverse Event (CTC-AE v5.0) rating of Grade 2 or greater on either "Fibrosis deep connective tissue" or "Superficial soft tissue fibrosis" by formal clinician assessment at 12 months post-randomization. 2. Hyp 2: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportional lower rate of objective lymphedema/fibrosis rated as "moderate/severe" grade at any head and neck subsite as measured by the Head and Neck External Lymphedema and Fibrosis (HN-ELAF) Assessment Criteria by a certified lymphedema specialist at 12 months post-randomization. 2. Determine the relative effect size observed of candidate agent(s) to reduce objective imaging-derived measures of radiation lymphedema/fibrosis-related sequalae \[Primary\]

1. Hyp 3: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportionally lower rate of objective DIGEST-detected swallowing dysfunction 12 months post-randomization. 2. Hyp 4: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportional lower rate of objective MRI-detected difference between 6- and 18-month post-randomization quantitative T1 (T1 mapping) intensity for paired muscle swallowing/neck/masticator muscles receiving \>=40Gy post-randomization.

Secondary Objectives

1. Determine the relative effect size observed of candidate agent(s) to reduce patient reported measures of toxicity associated with lymphedema/fibrosis-related sequalae \[Secondary\]

1. Hyp 5: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportionally lower rate of moderate-severe rated items "Fibrosis deep connective tissue" or "Superficial soft tissue fibrosis" by patient self-assessment using the Participant Reported Outcomes-CTCAE (PROCTCAE) Scale at 12-months post-randomization. 2. Hyp 6: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportionally lower rate of moderate-severe rated symptom items by participant self-assessment using the Head and Neck External Lymphedema and Fibrosis (HN-ELAF) Symptom Inventory Scale at 12-months post-randomization. 3. Hyp 7: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportionally lower rate of moderate-severe global symptom burden by participant self-assessment using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Scale at 12-months post-randomization. 4. Hyp 8: Participants receiving candidate agent(s) will exhibit a proportionally improved global quality of life as denoted by patient self-assessment using the EQ-5D Visual analogue Scale at 12-months post-randomization.

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Interventions

• Drug Pravastatin (drug)
  Given PO
• Drug Pentoxifylline
  Given PO
• Drug ketoprofen
  Given PO
• Drug Pirfenidoneone
  Given PO
• Other Standard of Care (SOC)
  SOC
• Drug tocopherol
  Given PO

Primary outcome measures

• Safety and adverse events [Time frame: Through study completion; an average of 1 year]

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility Criteria Eligibility criteria (observational registry or randomization)

• Prior history of head and neck cancer with no active disease.
• Treated previously with radiotherapy with prescribed dose (greater or equal to 30Gy) to unilateral or bilateral neck(s)
• Detectable CTC-AE G2+ lymphedema/fibrosis at >6 months post-radiotherapy.
• No active liver disease (Child-Pugh class B-C), cirrhosis, nor active alcoholism, nor history of ulcers.
• No history of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis.
• Creatinine clearance <30mL/min.
• No history of acute myocardial infarction or severe coronary disease.
• Non-pregnant/post-menopausal, or male.
• No history of diabetes mellitus
• Allergy/hypersensitivity to HMG Co-A reductase inhibitor and/or xanthine derivatives, e.g., caffeine, theophylline, theobromine
• No contraindications for magnetic resonance imaging a Subject to the discretion of the treating physician and Principal Investigator (PI), as the MRI may be optional

Exclusion criteria

• Active liver disease (Child-Pugh class B-C), cirrhosis, nor active alcoholism.
• History of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis.
• History of acute myocardial infarction or severe coronary disease.
• Pregnant/post-menopausal, or male.
• History of diabetes mellitus.
• Allergy/hypersensitivity to Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG Co-A) reductase inhibitor and/or xanthine derivatives, e.g., caffeine, theophylline, theobromine.
• Contraindications for MRI Subject to the discretion of the treating physician and Principal Investigator (PI), as the MRI may be optional
• Participants who are receiving any other investigational agents.
• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to statins, hemorheologic agents or other agents used in study
• Participants with psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Single group

Masking

Double blind

Primary purpose

Supportive care

Study locations

United States · 1 center

• MD Anderson Cancer Center — Houston

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06912763 · 2024-1521 · NCI-2025-02225

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗