Lapatinib and Radiation for Stage III-IV Head and Neck Cancer Patients Who Cannot Tolerate Concurrent Chemotherapy

There is substantial data to suggest that EGFR and Her-2/neu expressions are important predictors for prognosis in HNSCC. EGFR blockade with a monoclonal antibody in conjunction with radiotherapy has been shown to improve survival over radiotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced HNSCC. Dual inhibition of EGFR and ErbB2 tyrosine kinases results in greater inhibitory effect of the downstream signaling pathways in cancer cells than inhibition of either receptor alone. Phase I studies in HNSCC suggested that the drug is well tolerated when delivered either alone or concurrently with cisplatin based chemoradiotherapy in HNSCC. We propose to combine lapatinib with RT alone in patients with locally advanced HNSCC who cannot tolerate chemotherapy. The main objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of combining concurrent radiation and lapatinib in terms of time-to-progression (TTP) in this group of patients. In addition, we will determine the 2-year locoregional control rate (LRC), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in these patients. We will also evaluate the profile and frequency of late toxicity, specifically mucosal and dermatologic toxicity, of the combination of lapatinib and RT in patients with locally advanced HNSCC.