Standard of care for treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is chemoradiation with concurrent cisplatin. Addition of a second agent, cetuximab, which targets nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells with high EGFR protein expression, may enhance the effectiveness of radiation and result in better tumour control. This study investigates the addition of 2 cycles of cisplatin/5FU chemotherapy with cetuximab, followed by cisplatin and cetuximab concurrent with radiation, for treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Signed written informed consent
• Inpatients or outpatients, 18-65 years of age
• Histologically confirmed, newly diagnosed locally advanced (UICC/AJCC stage III to IVB) nasopharyngeal carcinoma requiring radiotherapy
• Evidence of unidimensional measurable disease as per RECIST criteria
• No systemic metastatic disease (M0)
• ECOG performance status of 0 or 1 at study entry
• Effective contraception
• White blood cell count ≥ 3,000/mm3 with neutrophils ≥1,500/mm3, platelet count ≥100,000/mm3, hemoglobin ≥ 5.6 mmol/L (9 g/dL)
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5x upper reference range
• AST & ALT ≤ 1.5x upper reference range
• Glomerular filtration rate > 60 ml/min
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.25x upper reference range

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery (excluding diagnostic biopsy) or any investigational drug for the NPC
• Concurrent chronic systemic immune therapy, targeted therapy, anti-VEGF therapy or EGFR-pathway targeting therapy not indicated in this study protocol
• Known hypersensitivity reaction to any of the components of study treatments
• Pregnancy or lactation period
• Systemic metastatic disease
• Clinically relevant coronary artery disease, history of myocardial infarction in the last 12 months, or high risk of uncontrolled arrhythmia
• Peripheral neuropathy > grade 1
• Previous malignancy except basal cell cancer of the skin or preinvasive cancer of the cervix
• Known alcohol or drug abuse
• Medical or psychological conditions that would not permit the patient to complete the study or sign informed consent
• Legal incapacity or limited legal capacity