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Primary Radiotherapy Versus Primary Surgery for HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer

A Randomized Trial of Treatment De-Escalation for HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Radiotherapy vs. Trans-Oral Surgery (ORATOR II)

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03210103
Acronym
ORATOR2
Enrollment
61
Registered
2017-07-06
Start date
2018-01-26
Completion date
2028-08-15
Last updated
2026-01-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Oropharyngeal Cancer

Keywords

Transoral Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer

Brief summary

The goal of this randomized treatment de-escalation study is to formally compare outcomes in HPV related oropharyngeal cancer tumors treated with a primary radiotherapy versus a primary surgical approach, to provide a high level of evidence to guide the selection of treatment options for a subsequent phase III trial

Detailed description

The goal of this randomized treatment de-escalation study is to formally compare outcomes in HPV related oropharyngeal cancer tumors treated with a primary radiotherapy versus a primary surgical approach, to provide a high level of evidence to guide the selection of treatment options for a subsequent phase III trial The study will compare overall survival rates relative to historical controls for de-intensified primary radiotherapy \[60 GY +/- chemotherapy\] versus transoral surgery (TOS) and neck dissection \[+/- adjuvant 50Gy radiotherapy\] in patients with early T-stage HPV-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx and to compare quality of life (QOL) profiles. The study will require a sample size of 140 patients randomized in a 1:1 ratio between the two arms. Arm 1 (radiotherapy +/1 chemotherapy) and Arm 2 (TOS) Patients will be followed for a total of 5 years

Interventions

RADIATIONRadiation

Standard of Care: Radiation +/- Chemotherapy

PROCEDURETransoral Surgery (TOS) + Neck Dissection

Transoral Surgery (TOS) + Neck Dissection (plus radiation, if required)

Sponsors

London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

2 Arm study randomized in a 1:1 ratio

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 18 years or older * willing to provide informed consent * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma * P16 positive, or HPV positive * Primary tumor site in the oropharynx (includes tonsil, soft palate, base of tongue, walls of oropharynx) * Eligible for curative intent treatment, with likely negative resection margins at surgery. For patients where adequate transoral access is in question, they will first undergo an examination under anesthesia prior to randomization to ensure adequate exposure can be obtained. * Smokers and non-smokers are included. Patients will be stratified by ,\<10 pack years smoking history versus \> or equal to 10 pack years. * Tumor stage (AJCC 8th edition): T1 or T2 * Nodal stage (AJCC 8th edition): N0, N1, or N2 * For patients who may require chemotherapy (ie, patients with multiple lymph nodes positive or a single node more than 3 cm in size, in any plane, CBC/differential within 4 weeks prior to randomization with adequate bone marrow function, hepatic, and renal function defined as: Hemoglobin ≥ 80 g/L; Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 10 9/L, platelets ≥ 100 x 10 9/L, bilirubin ≤ 35 umol/L, AST or ALT ≤ 3 x the upper limit of normal; serum creatinine ≤ 130 umol/L or creatinine clearance ≥ 50 ml/min * patients assessed at head and neck multidisciplinary clinic (with assessment by radiation oncologist and surgeon) and presented at multidisciplinary tumor board prior to randomization

Exclusion criteria

* unambiguous clinical or radiological evidence of extranodaal extension on pre-treatment imaging. This includes the presence of matted notes, defined as 3 or more nodes that are abutting with loss of intervening fat planes * Serious medical comorbidities or other contraindications to radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery * prior history of head and neck cancer within 5 years * prior head and neck radiation at any time * metastatic disease * inability to attend full course of radiotherapy or follow up visits * prior invasive malignant disease unless disease-free for at least 5 years or more, with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer * pregnant or lactating women

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall Survival2 yearsTime from randomization to death from any cause

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Quality of Life 1 year post treatment1 year post treatmentQuality of life 1 year post treatment as assessed with the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI)
Progression free survival comparison with historical controls5 yearsDefined as time from randomization to death from any cause
Quality of lifeBaseline to 5 years follow upQuality of Life using the following questionnaire: MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI)
toxicity profile of both study arms using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) Version 4Randomization until 5 years follow upTo determine to toxicity profile of both study arms using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) Version 4
Feeding tube rate at 1 yearbaseline to 1 year post treatmentMeasure other functional measurements such as feeding tube rate at 1 year
CTCAE Dysphagia gradebaseline to 5 years post treatmentMeasure other functional measurements such as CTCAE Dysphagia grade
Speech intelligibilitybaseline to 5 years post treatmentMeasure other functional measurements such as speech intelligibility
Normalcy of dietbaseline to 5 years post treatmentMeasure other functional measurements such as normalcy of diet
2 year progression-free survival comparison between Arm 1 and Arm 22 yearsTime from randomization to disease progress at any site or death from any cause

Countries

Australia, Canada

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORDavid Palma

London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 28, 2026