Optimized Intensity Modulated Irradiation for Head and Neck Cancer
Head and Neck Cancer
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Head and Neck Cancer focused on measuring Head and Neck cancer
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- All patients must have histologically confirmed invasive cancer of the head and neck.
- Irradiation to both neck sides is required.
- Standard radiation techniques would irradiate most of both parotid glands to a high dose (>50 Gy). Patients with oropharyngeal, oral, nasopharyngeal, hypopharyngeal and advanced laryngeal cancer are expected to fulfill this requirement.
- Patients with resectable disease that is either measurable, evaluable or non-measurable disease (post-operative) will be eligible.
- Karnofsky performance status >60
- Patients receiving or not receiving chemotherapy are eligible.
- All patients must sign an informed consent.
Pre-treatment laboratory criteria:
- WBC (White Blood Cell) > 3500/ul, granulocyte > 1500/ul.
- Platelet count > 100,000/ul.
- Creatinine clearance > 60 cc/min. to receive cisplatin; creatinine clearance 30-59 cc/min to receive carboplatin.
- Bilirubin < 1.5 mg% with no evidence of obstructive liver disease.
- AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) and ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) equal to or less than 2.5 x upper limit of normal.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients who received past irradiation to the head and neck are not eligible.
- Prior head and neck malignancy or history of other prior non-head and neck malignancy within the past 3 years.
- Prior head and neck radiation or prior chemotherapy.
- Documented evidence of distant metastases.
- Active infection.
- Pregnancy or lactation; patients must use effective contraception during the course of the clinical trial.
- Any medical or psychiatric illness which in the opinion of the principal investigator would compromise the patients ability to tolerate this treatment.
- Patients residing in prison.
- Age < 18 years.
Sites / Locations
- University of Michigan
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
Chemo-IMRT
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy will consist of Paclitaxel 30mg/m² IV over 1 hour, followed by Carboplatin (AUC 1) IV over 30 minutes, or Carboplatin 100mg/m² per IV over 30 minutes or Cisplatin 100mg/m² per IV over 1 hour, or Cisplatin (80mg/m²) or Carboplatin (AUC 5) IV on day 1 and 5-Fluorouracil (1000mg/m²) as a 24-hour continuous infusion, daily x 4 days. Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT): Primary RT: 70 Gy to gross disease and 56-63 Gy to subclinical disease in 35 fractions. Post-operative RT: 64 Gy to high-risk targets (postoperative tumor bed, first-echelon nodes) and 57.6 Gy to low-risk targets, in 32 fractions.