Cancer Research in HKUMed
2. Head and Neck



  • 2.1.Clinical Trial
    • 2.1.1.Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)
    • 2.1.2.Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)
      • 2.1.2.1.HNSCC + Other Tumour Types
  • 2.2. Supportive Cancer Care
  • 2.3. Translational Research
  • 2.4. Basic Research

2.0 Head and Neck

2.1 Clinical Trial

2.1.1 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)

Metastatic / Recurrent / Unresectable

Specific Selection Criteria: EBV Positive

Second-line to Fourth-line treatment: Phase 1b/2

Targeted Therapy (HDAC Inhibitor), Anti-Viral

An Open-Label, Multicenter Phase 1b/2 Study of Nanatinostat and Valganciclovir in Patients with Advanced Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive (EBV+) Solid Tumors and in Combination with pembrolizumab in Patients with Recurrent/Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Histologically or cytologically documented EBV+ tumor cells by EBER-ISH or LMP-1 per an archival tumor sample taken within 2 years prior to screening, otherwise a de novo biopsy is required.

     

  2. Patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC) (excluding patients in the Phase 1b exploratory proof-of-concept cohort) for whom no potentially curative options are available, who have received at least 1 prior line of platinum-based chemotherapy and no more than 3 prior lines of therapy.

Nanatinostat (Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitor) + Valganciclovir (Anti-Viral)

Dr. Victor Lee

Department of Clinical Oncology

 

vhflee@hku.hk

Angela IU

2255 5124

 

2.1 Clinical Trial

2.1.2 Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)

Metastatic / Non-Resectable

First-line treatment: Phase 2

Immunotherapy (Anti-CD47 Antibody/ Anti-PD-1 Antibody), Chemotherapy

Study Title

Main Inclusion/Exclusion

Investigational Product

Principal Investigator

Department

Email

Contact number

ELEVATE HNSCC (Protocol ID: GS-US-548-5916):

A Phase 2 Study of Magrolimab Combination Therapy in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic or locally recurrent HNSCC that is considered incurable by local therapies

     

  2. Should not have had prior systemic therapy administered in the recurrent or metastatic setting. Systemic therapy that was completed more than 6 months prior to signing consent if given as part of multimodal treatment for locally advanced disease is allowed

 

Magrolimab (Anti-CD47 Monoclonal antibody)

+ pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody) + Platinum + 5-FU (Chemo)

 

Vs.

 

Pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody)

+ Platinum + 5-FU (Chemo)

 

Delayed Open Arm C:

Magrolimab (Anti-CD47 Monoclonal antibody)

+ zimberelimab (anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody)

+ Platinum) + 5-FU (Chemo)

Prof. Dora Kwong

Department of Clinical Oncology

 

dlwkwong@hku.hk

Alex MAK

2255 4216

2.1.2 Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)

2.1.2.1 HNSCC + Other Tumour Types

Locally Advanced or Metastatic

Second, Third, Fourth-line treatment: Phase 2

Targeted Therapy: (Anti-HRS7-SN38 ADC)

Study Title

Main Inclusion/Exclusion

Investigational Product

Principal Investigator

Department

Email

Contact number

TROPiCS-03 (Protocol ID: IMMU-132-11):

A phase 2, open-label study of sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU-132) in subjects with metastatic solid tumours.

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Subjects with the following histologically documented metastatic (M1, Stage IV) or locally advanced solid tumors:

 

  • Endometrial carcinoma that has progressed after prior platinum-based chemotherapy and anti-PD-(L)1 directed therapy. No more than 3 prior lines of systemic treatment is allowed.

     

  • NSCLC (adenocarcinoma or SCC) that has progressed after prior platinum-based chemotherapy and programmed death-(ligand) 1 (PD-(L)1) directed therapy.

     

  • HNSCC that has progressed after prior platinum-based chemotherapy and anti-PD-(L)1 directed therapy No more than 3 prior lines of systemic treatment is allowed.

     

  • Extensive stage SCLC that has progressed after prior platinum-based chemotherapy and PD-(L)1 directed therapy. No more than one prior line of systemic treatment is allowed (re-challenge with the same initial regimen is not allowed).

 

Key Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Have had a prior anti-cancer biologic agent within the 4 weeks prior to Day 1 or have had prior chemotherapy, targeted small molecule therapy, or radiation therapy within 2 weeks prior to study Day 1.

     

  2. Have not recovered (i.e., ≤ Grade 1) from AEs caused by a previously administered agent.

     

  3. Have previously received topoisomerase I inhibitors (for SCLC cohort: Etoposide with platinum combination in first-line setting is allowed).

Sacituzumab Govitecan (Anti-HRS7-SN38 ADC)

Dr. Ka Yu Tse

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

tseky@hku.hk

Dr. Ka Yu Tse

2255 5102 9061 9609

2.0 Head and Neck

2.2 Supportive Cancer Care

Early & Advanced Stage

Study Title

Main Inclusion/Exclusion

Principal Investigator

Department

Email

Contact number

Develop a digital selfcare coaching program (Digi-Coach) for newly-diagnosed head-and-neck cancer patients and caregivers on managing radiation side-effects and psychosocial needs: A Participatory action research study.

Key Inclusion Criteria:

Patients

  1. Able to read and speak Cantonese or Mandarin fluently

     

  2. A new, primary diagnosis of stage I – IVA esophageal cancer; stage I – IV A/B (tongue, gum, oral cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, parotid, or larynx)

     

  3. Waiting to receive a full course of curative-intent radiation therapy ≥60Gy with or without chemotherapy

     

  4. A Karnofsky performance score ≥ 70 and Access to a mobile device connected to the Internet to download the Digi-Coach patient version.

 

Caregivers

  1. Family member identified by a recruited patient.

     

  2. Able to read and speak Cantonese or Mandarin fluently.

     

  3. Mentally and physically fit to perform caregiving tasks.

     

  4. Access to a mobile device connected to the Internet to download the Digi-Coach caregiver version.

 

Key Exclusion Criteria:

Patients

  1. Significant neurological or psychiatric disease.

     

    Caregivers

  2. Significant neurological or psychiatric disease.

Dr. Tongyao Wang

School of Nursing

tongyao1@hku.hk

3910 2790

2.0 Head and Neck

2.3.1 Translational Research

Study Title

Main Inclusion/Exclusion

Principal Investigator

Department

Email

Contact number

Tumor-Specific Alternative Splicing: A New Source for Neoantigens in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma?

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Prospective study; paired blood and tumor biopsies from 20 NPC patients obtained before treatment.

Wei Dai

Department of Clinical Oncology

weidai2@hku.hk

3917 6930

2.3.2 Translational Research

An Epigenetic Landscape Study: Unraveling the Role of Loss of CCCTC-binding Factor CTCF in Epigenetic Dysregulation in Epstein-Barr Virus-positive Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Prospective study; 10 pairs of normal-primary NPC clinical specimens obtained before treatment.

Wei Dai

Department of Clinical Oncology

weidai2@hku.hk

3917 6930

2.3.3 Translational Research

Multi-Omics Integrative Analysis and Translational Study for Classification of Radiotherapy Sensitivity in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Retrospective study; late-stage NPC patients received standard treatment in Hong Kong and San-Yet Sen University Cancer Hospital with 5-year clinical follow-up data.

Wei Dai

Department of Clinical Oncology

weidai2@hku.hk

3917 6930

2.3.4 Translational Research

A Multi-Centre Translational Study for the Prognostic Biomarkers in NPC

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Retrospective study; stage, gender and treatment matched NPC patients with and without de novo metastasis/local regional recurrence after 5 years follow up.

Wei Dai

Department of Clinical Oncology

weidai2@hku.hk

3917 6930

2.3.5 Translational Research

Understanding NPC Molecular Subtypes Associated with Clinical Outcome and Their Impact on Tumor Microenvironment

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Retrospective study; stage matched NPC patients with or without metastasis/relapse after 5 years of treatment.

 

Wei Dai

Department of Clinical Oncology

weidai2@hku.hk

3917 6930

2.3.6 Translational Research

A study on Epstein-Barr Virus-associated immunosuppression using single-cell multi-omics spatial analysis

Key Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Retrospective study; stage and gender matched NPC patients with or without de novo metastasis after 5 years follow up.

 

Wei Dai

Department of Clinical Oncology

weidai2@hku.hk

3917 6930

2.0 Head and Neck

2.4.1 Basic Research

Study Title

Principal Investigator

Department

Email

Contact number

Pathogenicity of EBV isolated from nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Dr Lydia Wai Ting Cheung

School of Biomedical Sciences

 

lydiacwt@hku.hk

Dr Lydia Wai Ting Cheung

3917 6908

2.4.2 Basic Research

DNA Nanorobots for Precision Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Therapeutics (CRF)

Prof. Julian Alexander Tanner

School of Biomedical Sciences

jatanner@hku.hk

Prof. Julian Alexander Tanner

3917 9472

2.4.3 Basic Research

Epidemiology of head and neck cancer

Dr. C.L. Cheung

Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy

lung1212@hku.hk

3917 9462

2.4.4 Basic Research

Low-irradiance red light-triggered drug release for the treatment of retinoblastoma.

Dr. W.P. Wang

Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy

wangwp@hku.hk

3917 9129