Hypopharyngeal Cancer

Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) account for about 5% of all cancers worldwide. They grow in the mouth, throat, nasal cavity, or salivary glands. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States. Survival rates for these cancers are lower than 50% if they spread to other parts of the body or return after treatment. Better treatments are needed. Objective: To test a new drug (SX-682), combined with an approved drug (docetaxel, or DTX), in people with HNCs or prostate cancer. Eligibility People aged 18 years and older with an HNC or prostate cancer that has returned after treatment or has spread. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have blood tests, imaging scans, and a test of their heart function. A tissue sample (biopsy) of the tumor may be taken. Participants will take the study drugs in 3-week cycles. SX-682 is a tablet taken by mouth twice a day from Days 1 to 11 of each cycle. Participants will get a supply of the drug to take home. DTX is given on Day 8 of each cycle through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein in the arm. Participants will come to the clinic on Days 1 and 8 of every cycle. They will take both drugs for up to 6 cycles. Participants will have follow-up visits 1 week and 1 month after they finish taking the drugs. Follow-ups will continue every 3 months for 2 years. Then they will have phone or email check-ins twice a year until 5 years have passed.

Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) account for about 5% of all cancers worldwide. They grow in the mouth, throat, nasal cavity, or salivary glands. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States. Survival rates for these cancers are lower than 50% if they spread to other parts of the body or return after treatment. Better treatments are needed. Objective: To test a new drug (SX-682), combined with an approved drug (docetaxel, or DTX), in people with HNCs or prostate cancer. Eligibility People aged 18 years and older with an HNC or prostate cancer that has returned after treatment or has spread. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have blood tests, imaging scans, and a test of their heart function. A tissue sample (biopsy) of the tumor may be taken. Participants will take the study drugs in 3-week cycles. SX-682 is a tablet taken by mouth twice a day from Days 1 to 11 of each cycle. Participants will get a supply of the drug to take home. DTX is given on Day 8 of each cycle through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein in the arm. Participants will come to the clinic on Days 1 and 8 of every cycle. They will take both drugs for up to 6 cycles. Participants will have follow-up visits 1 week and 1 month after they finish taking the drugs. Follow-ups will continue every 3 months for 2 years. Then they will have phone or email check-ins twice a year until 5 years have passed.

The iCaRe2 is a multi-institutional resource created and maintained by the Fred \& Pamela Buffett Cancer Center to collect and manage standardized, multi-dimensional, longitudinal data and biospecimens on consented adult cancer patients, high-risk individuals, and normal controls. The distinct characteristic of the iCaRe2 is its geographical coverage, with a significant percentage of small and rural hospitals and cancer centers. The iCaRe2 advances comprehensive studies of risk factors of cancer development and progression and enables the design of novel strategies for prevention, screening, early detection and personalized treatment of cancer. Centers with expertise in cancer epidemiology, genetics, biology, early detection, and patient care can collaborate by using the iCaRe2 as a platform for cohort and population studies.

This study aims to develop and validate a clinical prediction model for the risk of head and neck cancerous lesions using deep learning combined with AI algorithms, based on multi-center clinical data.

The investigators will obtain three-monthly voice recordings and fiberendoscopic examinations of the larynx/hypopharynx for a minimal period of 6 months from all laryngeal/hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC/HPSCC) patients, who have successfully completed curative primary treatment, except those who underwent total laryngectomy. Furthermore, the investigators will ask the patients to fill out the voice handicap index-30 questionnaire (VHI-30) during each study visit. The VHI-30 allows to make a subjective assessment of the patients' own vocal problem. The primary objective is to assess the feasibility and compliance of longterm regular voice monitoring in LSCC and HPSCC follow-up.

In the global landscape of cancer, head and neck malignancies are highly prevalent, with 878,000 new cases and 444,000 deaths recorded in 2020. Notably, laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers contribute to around 30% of these instances. More than 50% of patients are diagnosed with locally advanced disease, necessitating intensive treatments that significantly impact their quality of life. Despite these efforts, the prognosis for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers remains grim, with a 5-year survival rate of 30% to 50%. Past approaches focused on preserving laryngeal function and patient well-being, including minimally invasive surgery, advanced radiotherapy, and induction chemotherapy. Our prior research highlighted the effectiveness of combining toripalimab-based induction therapy and chemotherapy, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy or surgery. Positive short-term outcomes and manageable side effects were observed, with encouraging larynx preservation rates after one year. Against this backdrop, the current study aims to explore neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. It seeks to compare the therapeutic efficacy and quality of life impacts of concurrent radiochemotherapy and organ-preserving surgery. The ultimate goal is to identify optimal strategies for future interventions.

The aim of this prospective non-interventional multi-center trial is to study the prognostic value of intratumoral and systemic immune biomarkers in newly diagnosed non-metastatic head and neck cancer. Furthermore, the local immunological processes in the tumor will be correlated with the systemic immune status determined in the peripheral blood to identify prognostic immune signatures. In addition, tumor organoids will be generated ex vivo for functional biological analyses. The main objective is to create a prognostic score determined by clusters based on tumor immunologic criteria.