A phase II study to evaluate the role of the association of paclitaxel and metformin in patients with recurrent or stage IV head and neck cancer patients

• Grant number: 09/53691-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research in Public Policies for the National Health Care System (PP-SUS)
• Start date: July 01, 2010
• End date: June 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Agreement: CNPq - PPSUS
• Principal Investigator: José Barreto Campello Carvalheira
• Grantee: José Barreto Campello Carvalheira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Annually more than 14000 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed in Brazil. Despite the advances in the therapeutic options to head and neck cancer, the survival rates have not significantly ameliorated in the last 30 years. Pre-clinical data from our laboratory demonstrated a synergic effect of paclitaxel associated to metformin in the growth inhibition of A549 cells xenograft in SCIO mice. Thus, in the present study we plan to evaluate the response rate, efficacy and safety of metformin plus paclitaxel in patients with recurrent or stage IV head and neck cancer, whose cisplatin based chemotherapy and concomitant radiotherapy have failed. (AU)