Palliative Radiation for Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
This study is evaluating whether a combination of radiation therapy, a checkpoint inhibitor, and a vaccine can improve survival in people with head and neck cancer.
See full descriptionAbout the trial for Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Treatment Groups
This trial involves 2 different treatments. Palliative Radiation is the primary treatment being studied. Participants will all receive the same treatment. There is no placebo group. The treatments being tested are in Phase 2 and have already been tested with other people.
About The Treatment
Eligibility
This trial is for patients born any sex aged 18 and older. You must have received 1 prior treatment for Carcinoma, Squamous Cell or one of the other 2 conditions listed above. There are 10 eligibility criteria to participate in this trial as listed below.
Approximate Timelines
Measurement Requirements
This trial is evaluating whether Palliative Radiation will improve 1 primary outcome, 8 secondary outcomes, and 4 other outcomes in patients with Carcinoma, Squamous Cell. Measurement will happen over the course of up to 3 months.
Patient Q & A Section
What is the survival rate for carcinoma, squamous cell?
The survival rate for carcinoma, squamous cell is one of the lowest among all types of lung cancer. This fact could be attributed to the following reasons: 1) most patients with carcinoma, squamous cell are not screened for early detection of lung cancer; 2) most carcinoma, squamous cell cases are diagnosed late; and 3) most patients with carcinoma, squamous cell are not treated with surgery as a first-line therapy. It took an average of 7 months from when the carcinoma, squamous cell was diagnosed to the initiation of chemotherapy. To control the incidence of carcinoma, squamous cell in Taiwan needs to strengthen the screening program for lung cancer and increase the awareness of its prevention.
Does palliative radiation improve quality of life for those with carcinoma, squamous cell?
Palliative radiation therapy improves several aspects of QOL for patients with carcinoma, SCC. The response rate was low (42%), and patients did not respond in all domains of QOL assessed. Nevertheless, this study suggests that palliative RT has potential benefit as an adjunct to chemotherapy.
What does palliative radiation usually treat?
The question of what type of cancer is most commonly treated by RT continues to be debated. Survival is increased by palliative RT in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), head & neck cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Overall survival was not significantly different between early stage NSCLC and early stage cervical cancers treated with RT only compared to those treated with concurrent chemotherapy and RT. The improvement in OS observed for patients with hormone-receptor-positive early stage NSCLC treated with RT alone warrants further investigation of RT as a palliative modality for this indication. Longer follow up data is needed to define whether RT improves quality of life for advanced NSCLC patients.
Can carcinoma, squamous cell be cured?
SCCM appears to have excellent survival rates when treated early, but less so when diagnosed late. A little research will help determine if successful chemotherapy is possible for these patients.
Is palliative radiation typically used in combination with any other treatments?
The addition of radiotherapy did not significantly improve survival when used in conjunction with surgery or chemotherapy. Based on our findings, we would recommend against the routine use of palliative radiation therapy in the setting of metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma.
What is carcinoma, squamous cell?
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (CSC) is an aggressive cancer that has a devastating effect on patients due to its resistance to chemotherapy treatments. The CSC model describes how tumors evolve from benign to malignant, which provides insight into identifying CSCs and anti-CSCs. To date, many CSC markers have been identified including CD44, ALDH1A2, ZEB1, EZH2, Sox9, OCT4, NANOG, and Bmi1. In addition, increased expression of these markers in carcinoma cells correlates to tumor progression. Thus, these markers represent potential targets for anti-cancer therapies.
What are common treatments for carcinoma, squamous cell?
A variety of treatments were used in patients with either [lung cancer](https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/lung-cancer) or cervical cancer. There was no difference between these two groups in the frequency of treatments used. More research needs to be conducted to determine what treatments are most effective for both types of cancers.
What are the chances of developing carcinoma, squamous cell?
The lifetime risk of having an SCC is 7%. The risk increases when the patient has developed other cancers already (17%). The lifetime risk of developing an NSCLC is 18%. The risk increases when previously diagnosed with another cancer (28%).
What is the average age someone gets carcinoma, squamous cell?
Results from a recent clinical trial shows that there was no statistically significant difference between age groups in the rate of SCC. However, the results showed that there was a trend for an increased rate of SCC among older people. It also shows that the majority of cancers were in situ, with less than 5% of invasive cancers detected. The overall survival rate was found to be low, with 5-year survival rates ranging from 6 to 17%, although this could be due to the high proportion of early-stage SCC cases. Further research needs to be conducted to investigate the risk factors associated with SCC development, progression and survival.
Have there been any new discoveries for treating carcinoma, squamous cell?
Most of the developments in cancer therapy are related to advances in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and chemotherapy. In squamous cell carcinoma, there have been many advances in understanding cell division pathways and oncogene networks. Some progress has also been made in understanding tumor growth and metastasis. However, none of these have yet produced an effective anticancer drug. More work needs to be done before we see a major breakthrough in the treatment of this disease.
What is the primary cause of carcinoma, squamous cell?
The main causes of SCC were tobacco use and secondarily smoking cessation. Carcinoma, squamous cell was the third leading cause of death from non-neoplastic lung diseases. It is important to note that smoking cessation is a fundamental part of cancer control and prevention programs.