A phase II trial of radiotherapy-durvalumab without prophylactic neck irradiation in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (REWRITe)

This research study is about finding better ways to treat a specific type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which affects the head and neck area. Currently, treatment often includes radiotherapy, which uses high-energy beams to target and destroy cancer cells. Sometimes, doctors also remove lymph glands in the neck with surgery, even if they don't see cancer there, as a preventative measure. This study wants to see if we can avoid this preventative neck surgery for some patients.

The study combines radiotherapy with a new drug called durvalumab (you might hear it called IMFINZI). Durvalumab is an immunotherapy drug that works by helping your body's own immune system fight the cancer. The main goal is to find out if this combination can effectively control the cancer in the neck area for at least a year, without needing that extra surgery.

Researchers will also be carefully checking for any side effects from the treatment, how well the main cancer lump is controlled, whether the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, and how long people live or stay free from cancer. They will also look at your quality of life, which means how the treatment affects your daily activities and general well-being. This information will help doctors understand if this new approach could become a standard treatment in the future.