Clinical Trials Search at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

This phase II trial tests how well cemiplimab works in treating basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) before surgery (neoadjuvant). Cemiplimab is a human recombinant monoclonal IgG4 antibody that may allow the body's immune system to work against tumor cells. Giving cemiplimab before surgery may make the tumor smaller and make it easier to remove.

The goal of this phase I clinical trial is to evaluate the usefulness of an imaging test (zirconium Zr89 panitumumab \[89Zr panitumumab\]) with positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing the spread of disease from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastasis) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Traditional PET/CT has a low positive predictive value for diagnosing metastatic disease in head and neck cancer. 89Zr panitumumab is an investigational imaging agent that contains radiolabeled anti-EGFR antibody which is overexpressed in head and neck cancer. The main question this study aims to answer is the sensitivity and specificity of 89Zr panitumumab for the detection of indeterminate metastatic lesions in head and neck cancer.

Participants will receive 89Zr panitumumab infusion and undergo 89Zr panitumumab PET/CT 1 to 5 days after infusion. Participants will otherwise receive standard of care evaluation and treatment for their indeterminate lesions.

Researchers will compare the 89Zr panitumumab to standard of care imaging modalities (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT, and/or PET/CT).