Active clinical trials for "Oropharyngeal Neoplasms"

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that adaptive radiotherapy (ART) in head and neck cancer patients are comparable to historical controls in head and neck patients undergoing standard intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) without ART.

The proposed study is an attempt to improve patient xerostomia (dry mouth) after definitive radiation therapy treatment for head and neck cancer. Xerostomia is a frequently experienced symptom for those receiving radiation therapies to the head and neck that persists after treatment, potentially indefinitely. It has been shown that stem/progenitor cells preferentially reside in large ducts of salivary glands and that these cells have the ability to repair radiation induced salivary damage. Current practice does not specifically attempt to spare these regions and considers the entire salivary gland to have equal importance and function. This study will involve the acquisition of pre-treatment MRI sialogram images which enable visualization of salivary ducts (using saliva itself as a contrast agent) that can then be avoided during radiation treatment planning. Saliva samples will also be collected at this time to quantify baseline saliva secretion and saliva characteristics. The primary objective will be to obtain patient reported outcomes (PRO) measure of xerostomia related symptoms for comparison with a historical cohort. Xerostomia symptom information will be obtained by use of a patient reported quality of life survey administered prior to treatment and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after treatment. The secondary objectives will be to quantitatively assess post-treatment changes in saliva secretion, salivary gland volume, and ductal visibility using MRI sialograms. The target sample size for this study is 40 patients. The investigator hypothesizes that reducing the dose to these stem cell containing salivary ducts will facilitate improvements in patient reported symptoms as well as improved recovery of salivary secretion, salivary gland volume, and intra-glandular ductal visibility using MRI sialograms.

This is a multicentric randomized phase III trial comparing conventional radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy versus accelerated radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy versus very accelerated radiotherapy in patients with stage III-IV head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The main end point is the event free survival.

RATIONALE: Swallowing exercise therapy may improve the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying early onset of swallowing exercise therapy to see how well it works compared to late onset of swallowing exercise therapy in treating patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether and when patients with human papilloma virus positive squamous cell cancer of the oropharynx treated with radiation and chemotherapy clear their human papilloma virus infection.

This study is being performed to evaluate the effectiveness of a new drug, clonidine HCl MBT, to prevent the onset of severe oral mucositis (SOM) in patients with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) who are being treated with chemoradiotherapy. OPC occurs on the back of the tongue or throat and is often treated by the use of chemoradiotherapy, where radiation is localized to these areas. Radiation to the OPC affected tissues causes the release of small proteins called cytokines that cause damage to the area surrounding the tumor including the oral cavity. This damage is characterized by the formation of mucositis which includes redness, pain and ulcers in the mouth and back of the throat. In addition, as more chemoradiation is administered to treat OPC, the inability to eat a solid diet (a Grade 3 mucositis) or to consume anything at all by mouth (a Grade 4 mucositis) occurs in many patients. Collectively, Grade 3 and Grade 4 mucositis is referred to as SOM. It is a frequent, debilitating side effect of chemoradiation in OPC that may cause patients to stop or interrupt their treatment, develop other side effects like the inability to swallow, or require the increased use of pain medications. OPC survivors who have successful treatment of their tumors often develop permanent swallowing, speaking and range of motion issues that may be linked back to the inability to eat and/or drink caused by SOM during their chemoradiotherapy treatment. Clonidine may inhibit the production of cytokines that cause SOM and clonidine HCl mucoadhesive buccal tablet (MBT) has been designed to deliver sustained high levels of clonidine in the oral cavity, potentially decreasing cytokine production and leading to a decrease in the incidence of SOM. Clonidine HCl MBT is a once per day treatment provided as a tablet that a patient may self-administer to the gums, where it sticks tightly to release clonidine over many hours. The primary objective of this Phase 2b/3 study is to evaluate whether clonidine HCl MBT is more effective than placebo MBT in decreasing the incidence of SOM.

Patients are asked to be in this study if have oropharyngeal cancer and will be treated with chemotherapy and radiation. This research is being done to find out if acupuncture can reduce the mouth inflammation and pain caused by chemotherapy and radiation. Chemoradiation may cause mouth inflammation and pain. Acupuncture is a medical technique of inserting very thin needles into the "energy points" on the body with the aim to restore health and well-being. It has been used widely to treat pain, such as lower back pain and joint pain. In this study we will assess the potential usefulness of acupuncture to decrease the severity of mucositis and mucositis-related mouth and throat pain in patients receiving chemoradiation for oropharyngeal cancer. Mouth cancer patients receiving chemoradiation who have not had acupuncture within the last one month and who do not have a history of head and neck cancer may join this pilot study.

This randomized phase II trial is studying how well selenomethionine (SLM) works in reducing mucositis in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who are receiving cisplatin and radiation therapy. SLM may help prevent or reduce mucositis, or mouth sores, in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It is not yet known whether SLM is more effective than a placebo in reducing mucositis

RATIONALE: Fosaprepitant dimeglumine, palonosetron hydrochloride, and dexamethasone may help lessen or prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well fosaprepitant dimeglumine together with palonosetron hydrochloride and dexamethasone works in preventing nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin in patients with stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

This study evaluates the combination of BYL719, cisplatin and cetuximab as induction chemotherapy prior to minimally-invasive transoral surgery (TORS or TLM) and selective lymph node dissection (SLND), followed by risk-adapted intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients with transorally resectable, Stage III-IVa, HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).