Clinical trial NCT06108089: Novel Hypoxia Imaging for Head and Neck Cancer: Imaging Phenotype for Personalized Treatment
Official title: Novel Hypoxia Imaging for Head and Neck Cancer: Imaging Phenotype for Personalized Treatment
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer
Hypoxia
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Cancer Neck
Keywords: hypoxia
precision medicine
imaging biomarker
prognosis
Lead sponsor: University of Utah
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Huntsman Cancer Institute
First posted: 2023-10-30
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: 1. Patients with newly diagnosed advanced-stage HNC with a primary tumor larger than 3 cm that are treated with CRT (chemoradiotherapy)
2. Patients with newly diagnosed localized HNC that are primarily treated with surgical resection for whole specimen IHC

Brief summary: Tumor hypoxia is one of the physiological factors for treatment resistance and likely contributes to poor overall survival among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Identifying hypoxic features of HNC may allow the personalizing treatment plan. The investigators propose multiparametric Hypoxia MR (HMR) imaging using diffusion, perfusion, and oxygenation as non-invasive, in-vivo imaging components of a hypoxia phenotype. Assessing the hypoxia phenotypes' expression will be critically important for characterizing and predicting CRT response among patients with advanced HNC.

A prospective cohort study will be conducted used multiparametric MR (MPMR) imaging correlated with treatment response assessed by 3 months fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). The image analysis approach will be developed to incorporate FDG-PET and quantitative MRI characteristics of tumor (ADC, oxygen-enhanced T1 and T2\* maps, and volume transfer constant (Ktrans) to facilitate 3D visualization of multiparametric information. This proposed study's overarching goal is to develop and validate multiparametric HMR imaging using 18F - (fluoromisonidazole) FMISO-PET and immunohistochemistry (IHC) as the standard of references.

Detailed description: The objectives of this feasibility study are; 1) To obtain pilot data for a full-scale study and measure the distribution of parameters of the hypoxia MR (perfusion, diffusion, oxygenation, and acidosis) imaging, 2) To assess association of various hypoxia MR metrics with outcome, response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) determined by 3 months post CRT FDG-PET/CT. 3) The metrics developed on hypoxia MRI wil be validated against F-18 FMISO-PET/CT and whole specimen IHC (immunohistochemistry). The data obtained from this pilot study will allow us to measure the effect size (difference in hypoxia MR metrics between responder and non-responder) for a larger, full-scale diagnostic study in the future, as well as to determine which hypoxia MR parameters have a strong association with desired outcome (response to CRT) in the future study.

The long-term objective of this research is to evaluate hypoxia MR phenotype that can be incorporated into treatment planning for IMRT (intensity-modulated radiotherapy), identify subregions of tumor hypoxia, and predict response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in newly diagnosed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The investigators will develop hypoxia MRI using a widely available MRI platform that allows broad patients access to novel hypoxia MRI. The investigators will evaluate the accuracy of the prediction of response to CRT using quantitative variables derived from hypoxia MR at the baseline as well as early interval changes between the baseline and 2 weeks of intra-treatment MR scans. Response to CRT will be determined by 3 months post-treatment FDG-PET/CT.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Newly diagnosed HNSCC (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) by biopsy or fine needle aspiration originating from the oral cavity, larynx, hypopharynx, nasopharynx, and oropharynx
* Patients are scheduled to undergo chemoradiotherapy or surgery
* Able to provide informed consent and willing to sign an approved consent form that conforms to federal and institutional guidelines.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnant patients
* Patients with claustrophobia
* Patients with pacemaker, spinal stimulator, or cochlear implant that are not MR compatible or any other metallic objects in the body
* Patients who had been treated for HNC, either surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy
* Patients with thyroid, skin, sinonasal, and salivary gland cancer.
* Abnormal kidney function defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGRF) \< 30 mL/min/1.73 m2
* Patients with uncontrolled diabetes
* Patients who obtained outside FDG-PET/CT prior to initial treatment

Primary outcomes:
measure: The correlation of hypoxia volume between hypoxia MR and F18-FMISO PET
timeFrame: 1 year
Secondary outcomes:
measure: The correlation of hypoxia volume between hypoxia MR and IHC with hypoxia biomarkers
timeFrame: 1 year
measure: Response to chemoradiotherapy
timeFrame: 1 year
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Salt Lake City
country: United States
facility: University of Utah
state: Utah
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Utah
name: Yoshimi Anzai, M.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Roberts J, Kim SE, Kholmovski EG, Hitchcock Y, Richards TJ, Anzai Y. The arterial input function: Spatial dependence within the imaging volume and its influence on 3D quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for head and neck cancer. Magn Reson Imaging. 2023 Sep;101:40-46. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2023.03.016. Epub 2023 Apr 7.