Highlights
- •The study planned one-year afatinib maintenance therapy (N = 67) or placebo (N = 67).
- •Afatinib after post-operative RCT showed no improved 2y-DFS in patients with HNSCC.
- •Afatinib should not be recommended in this setting outside clinical trials.
Abstract
Objective
We investigated the efficacy and safety of afatinib maintenance therapy in patients
with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with macroscopically complete resection
and adjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT).
Methods
This French multicentric randomised phase III double-blind placebo-controlled study
included adult patients with ECOG-PS≤2, normal haematological, hepatic and renal functions,
and non-metastatic, histologically confirmed HNSCC of the oral cavity, oropharynx,
larynx or hypopharynx, with macroscopically complete resection and adjuvant RCT (≥2
cycles of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 J1, J22, J43 and 66Gy (2Gy/fraction, 5 fractions/week,
conventional or intensity modulated radiotherapy ≥60Gy). Randomised patients were
planned to receive either afatinib (afa arm) or placebo (control arm (C)) as maintenance
therapy for one year. Primary endpoint was disease free survival (DFS). A 15% improvement
in DFS was expected at 2 years with afatinib (from 55 to 70%).
Results
Among the 167 patients with resected HNSCC included in 19 cancer centres and hospitals
from Dec 2011, 134 patients were randomised to receive one-year maintenance afatinib
or placebo (afa:67; C:67). Benefit/risk ratio was below assumptions and independent
advisory committee recommended to stop the study in Feb 2017, the sponsor decided
premature study discontinuation, with a 2-year follow-up for the last randomised patient.
2y-DFS was 61% (95% CI 0.48–0.72) in the afatinib group and 64% (95% CI 0.51–0.74)
in the placebo group (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.70–1.80).
Conclusion
Maintenance therapy with afatinib compared with placebo following post-operative RCT
in patients with HNSCC did not significantly improve 2y-DFS and should not be recommended
in this setting outside clinical trials.
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01427478.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 23, 2022
Accepted:
October 24,
2022
Received in revised form:
October 18,
2022
Received:
August 4,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
