Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Stereotactic radiosurgery may be able to send x-rays directly to the tumor and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of stereotactic radiosurgery in treating patients with locally advanced or recurrent head and neck cancer.

The purpose of this study is to estimate, with pre-specified precision, the difference in local-regional control (LRC) rate at 2 years in subjects receiving chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or panitumumab plus radiotherapy (PRT) as first line treatment for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma for the head and neck (SCCHN). A formal hypothesis will not be tested in this trial; however, the treatment arm difference in LRC rates at 2 years will be estimated.

This study involves two phases. Phase I of this study is designed to find out the maximum dose of paclitaxel poliglumex which can be safely given to subjects when combined with cetuximab and radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. Once the maximum safe dose of paclitaxel poliglumex is found, Phase II of the study will continue to find out whether the addition of paclitaxel poliglumex increases tumor response and survival compared to treatment with cetuximab and radiotherapy alone. An additional 20 patients have been added, to balance data. These patients must be HPV negative.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving cetuximab and cisplatin together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving cetuximab and cisplatin together with radiation therapy works in treating patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.

This study will test whether it is possible to introduce new genetic material into a small portion of a tumor and have the product of the new gene not only kill those tumor cells that were infected initially, but also the surrounding tumor cells as well with limited or no harm to the patient. The desired effects of this approach are achieved by focusing potent chemotherapies directly within the tumor itself and, as a result, avoiding injury to the remainder of the body. In this study, we will use two components, the first of which is a virus, known as an adenovirus, that has been crippled (i.e., it cannot make more of itself) and loaded with a bacterial gene called E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). Adenoviruses are considered to be relatively safe vehicles for gene delivery and are presently being used in numerous human trials and therapies worldwide, including a head and neck cancer therapy approved for use outside the United States. The loaded adenovirus will be used to deliver the PNP gene directly into a tumor in patients. This gene is not expected to have an effect itself. However, the gene produces PNP inside the tumor and this protein will activate the second component of the therapy, a drug called fludarabine phosphate, which is approved by the FDA for certain types of blood-cell cancers, but has not been shown to be effective against most solid tumors. The proposed therapy gives the patient several infusions of fludarabine following the injection of the virus carrying the PNP gene and, as the fludarabine enters the tumor, it will be converted by PNP into a second compound, fluoroadenine. Numerous studies in mice and rats have shown that fluoroadenine is a very potent anti-cancer agent and that it will kill the tumor cells where it is made as well as those in the immediately surrounding area.

The overall goal of this study is to examine the effect of a single dose of TENS on mucositis pain and function secondary to head and neck radiation therapies. Oral mucositis is an extremely debilitating, unpreventable condition (inflammation, ulcers, bleeding in the mouth, nose, and throat) that causes significant pain, functional impairment, and diminished quality of life. Head and neck cancers pose specific challenges to effective pain management and past studies suggest the use of effective non-pharmacologic strategies such as TENS may be particularly beneficial for avoiding sources of acute and chronic pain, thereby improving quality of life. The investigators hypothesize that a single dose of TENS will decrease pain and improve function and quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. This project is particularly innovative because it is the first known study to examine the efficacy of TENS, an established safe, inexpensive and easy-to-use non-pharmacologic pain management intervention, for treating acute oral mucositis pain. The investigators research translates bench (animal model) science to human subjects using an interdisciplinary approach to pain management. Establishing whether TENS is effective for reducing mucositis pain is a critical first step toward establishing an effective, non-pharmacologic pain relief intervention for mucositis.

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of treatment with Tarceva (Erlotinib) and RADPLAT (RADiation and intraarterial cisPLATin) for patients with Head and Neck cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as E7389, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well E7389 works in treating patients with metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer.

Study to investigate the effect of two types of radiotherapy on saliva: IMRT versus conventional radiotherapy. In each group, one part will receive normal dental preventive treatment. The other part will use products for treatment of dry mouth (Biotene gamma). Both anorganic and organic components of the saliva will be studied at different time points, combined with bacterial swabs.

RATIONALE: Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well erlotinib works in treating patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer.