Researchers conducted a Phase III clinical trial involving 375 patients with p16+ oropharyngeal cancer. The study compared two different treatment paths: one using IMRT with cetuximab and another using IMRT with cisplatin. The goal was to see if switching to cetuximab would improve the daily lives of patients during their treatment.
At the six-month mark, the study found no significant difference in overall quality of life scores between the two groups. However, patients in both groups experienced significant worsening in several areas, including dry mouth, difficulty opening the mouth, and issues with social eating. By the twelve-month follow-up, many patients also reported more difficulty with weight gain and the need for pain killers.
While the study did not show that cetuximab provided a better quality of life than cisplatin, it did note that the need for pain killers decreased for both groups at six and twelve months. Because the results show that cetuximab did not improve global health status or swallowing compared to cisplatin, patients and doctors can use this information to weigh the options of these two specific treatments.
