A phase 2 trial of surgery with perioperative INGN 201 (Ad5CMV-p53) gene therapy followed by chemoradiotherapy for advanced, resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx: report of the Southwest Oncology Group.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the feasibility of treating patients with high-risk stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx with perioperative adenovirus-p53 (INGN 201) gene therapy along with surgery and chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

A phase 2 study in a multi-institutional setting within the Southwest Oncology Group.

METHODS

Thirteen individuals who met the following entry criteria: newly diagnosed, previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx; selected stage III or IV disease without distant metastases; and surgically resectable disease.

METHODS

Surgery, perioperative INGN 201 gene therapy, and postoperative chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

Overall patient status, tumor status, adverse effects, accrual rate, and percentage of patients successfully receiving the required doses of INGN 201.

RESULTS

All 13 patients received surgery and perioperative INGN 201 injections in the primary tumor bed and the ipsilateral neck. In addition, 3 patients received injections in the contralateral neck. Three patients did not receive chemoradiotherapy. One patient had a grade 2 fistula of the oral cavity. Of the 10 patients with evaluable data, 2 experienced grade 4 adverse events, 1 owing to hypokalemia, hyponatremia, vomiting, leukopenia, and neutropenia and 1 owing to increased aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. Seven other patients experienced grade 3 adverse events. The estimate of 1-year progression-free survival is 92%.

CONCLUSIONS

This trial demonstrated the feasibility of handling and delivering a very complex gene vector safely in multiple cooperative group institutions without significant incident. Intraoperative INGN 201 gene therapy is technically feasible, but it has many logistical problems when performed in a multi-institutional setting. Regulatory requirements might have hindered accrual in this multi-institutional setting. Disease control seems to be promising; however, no definitive conclusion can be made with this small sample size.

BACKGROUND

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00017173.