Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies can locate cancer cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. It is not yet known whether cisplatin plus monoclonal antibody therapy is more effective than cisplatin alone for metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized double-blinded phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of cisplatin with or without monoclonal antibody in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Chemoprotective drugs, such as amifostine, may protect normal cells from the side effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy plus combination chemotherapy and amifostine in treating patients who have stage II, stage III, or stage IV head and neck cancer that cannot be surgically removed.

Participant with squamous cell cancer of head and neck are invited to participate in this study. In this study the investigators will be Inserting the gene for interleukin-12 into a person's cancer cells with the anticipation to make the body build an immune response to kill more tumor cells.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. 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 with monoclonal antibody therapy and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining cetuximab, cisplatin, and radiation therapy in treating patients who have advanced stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.

Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of docetaxel plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the combination of amifostine and high dose chemotherapy with blood stem cell support. Amifostine is a druf developed to protect normal tissues against the toxicities of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and has reduced the side effects of chemotherapy given at conventional doses.

Patients undergoing major head and neck surgery often develop breathing difficulties as a result of build up of sputum and difficulty taking deep breaths. Often as part of the surgery patients may also require a tracheotomy tube (a temporary tube placed into their airway) which is removed around 5-7 days after the operation. The presence of this tracheostomy tube increases the patient's risk of developing breathing problems, especially difficulty clearing sputum and reduced lung volumes. To reduce the risk of developing these problems, different forms of oxygen therapy and humidification are used. This normally involves using oxygen masks, nebulisers and other medications to help loosen the sputum and maintain blood oxygen levels. Another method of giving oxygen and humidification is through the use of AIRVO, which delivers the air / oxygen to the patient at higher rates as well as warming and humidifying the air. The aim of this study is to compare the AIRVO system to standard care in a small sample of patients (20 patients) undergoing major head and neck surgery involving insertion of a tracheostomy tube. The study will compare rates of breathing complications (e.g. pneumonia, reduced lung volume) as well as comparing the time to remove the tracheostomy tube and the time the patient is required to stay in hospital. These results will then be used to develop a larger funded study.

Patients with potentially resectable pancreatic head cancer and high bilirubin level, were stratified into two equal groups according to the method of biliary drainage: endoscopic stenting or percutaneous drainage.

This is a phase II, non-randomized, therapeutic trial with the primary objective to determine the efficacy of reduced contralateral (C/L) elective nodal treatment volumes in preventing C/L recurrences at 2 years in patients with p16 positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing definitive or adjuvant RT.