Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

Primary Objective: To assess the overall response rate (complete and partial response) to Abraxane in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer with the addition of Cetuximab on disease progression. Approximately 40,000 new cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States (Jemal et al, 2003), and over 30% of these patients are expected to die of their malignancy. Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90% of head and neck cancer cases. Although metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis is rather uncommon, and despite aggressive use of up-front concurrent radiation and cisplatin-based chemotherapy, approximately 20% of the patients will develop metastases. Patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) have a poor prognosis A subsequent randomized study conducted by ECOG (E1393) compared high-dose paclitaxel (200 mg/m2) as a 24-hour infusion plus cisplatin 75 mg/m2 with G-CSF support, to low dose paclitaxel (135 mg/m2) as a 24-hour infusion, plus cisplatin 75 mg/m2 (Forastiere et al, 2001). Patients with newly diagnosed metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, excluding nasopharyngeal primaries were eligible. No prior treatment for recurrent/metastatic disease was allowed, but patients could have received chemotherapy as a part of the initial curative therapy that should have been completed 6 months prior to study. No statistically significant difference could be demonstrated either in response rates or survival between the two arms (Murphy et al, 2001). This study, however, indicated that paclitaxel, a member of the taxane class of anti-tumor agent, is active in head and neck cancer. New agents to treat head and neck cancer need to be investigated. Abraxane, an albumin-bound formulation of paclitaxel has shown significant single-agent activity in breast cancer and in head and neck cancer. Recently, Abraxane has approved for use in metastatic breast cancer. Given previous randomized phase III trials indicated single agent chemotherapy fared as well as combination chemotherapy regimen in terms of overall survival, this novel formulation should be actively investigated in head and neck cancer.

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of an oral Farnesyl Protein Transferase Inhibitor (Lonafarnib/SCH 6636) as a single agent in Adult Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head & Neck and will help determine if further development is justified.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety of adding the investigational drug Motexafin Gadolinium to the standard treatment of radiation therapy and chemotherapy with drugs called 5-FU and cisplatin in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

Phase II Study of Maintenance Tarceva (Erlotinib) in patients with locally advanced Head and Neck Cancer after treatment with curative intent

The purpose of the study is to evaluate Medpulser electroporation (EPT) with bleomycin with regard to local tumor recurrence, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates versus surgery in recurrent or secondary primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the base of the tongue, posterior lateral pharyngeal wall, hypopharynx or larynx.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as amifostine may prevent the side effects of radiation therapy. Combining more than one drug and combining radiation therapy and surgery with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining surgery, radiation therapy, and combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have recurrent head and neck cancer that has been treated previously with radiation therapy.

RATIONALE: Inserting the p53 gene into a person's cancer cells may improve the body's ability to fight cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy with the p53 gene may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of gene therapy plus surgery followed by cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients who have newly diagnosed resectable stage III or stage IV cancer of the mouth or throat.

This is a phase 1b/2, open-label, multicenter trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, biologic activity, and preliminary efficacy of intratumoral SD-101 injections in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab in patients with metastatic melanoma or recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study will be conducted in 2 phases. Phase 1 evaluates SD-101 given in combination with pembrolizumab in melanoma populations (anti-PD-1/L1 naïve and anti-PD-1/L1 experienced with progressive disease) in up to 4 Dose Escalation cohorts to identify a recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) to be evaluated in up to 4 Dose Expansion cohorts in Phase 2. Phase 2 also includes up to 4 Dose Expansion cohorts of patients with HNSCC (anti-PD-1/L1 naïve and anti-PD-1/L1 experienced with progressive disease).

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of MK-1697. There are 2 parts in this study: dose escalation to determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) and confirm the RP2D (Part A) and cohort expansion to determine preliminary efficacy in participants with colorectal cancer (CRC) or head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) (Part B). No formal hypothesis testing will be done in this study.

This randomised, double-blind phase III trial will be performed in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The objectives of the trial are to compare the efficacy and safety of afatinib (BIBW 2992) with placebo as adjuvant therapy to patients who have received definitive chemo-radiotherapy.