Active clinical trials for "Oropharyngeal Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Specialized radiation therapy that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. CT and PET scans and treatment-planning systems may help in planning radiation therapy. 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. Giving radiation therapy together with cisplatin may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of intensity-modulated image guided adaptive radiation therapy when given together with cisplatin in treating patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer

This study looks at the use of three cycles of chemotherapy given prior to radiation therapy in patients with cancer of the oral cavity and evidence of prior exposure to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Patients with cancer of the oral cavity who have evidence of exposure to HPV have a better prognosis than those who do not have such evidence of exposure to HPV. The main hypothesis of this study is that using three cycles of chemotherapy prior to embarking on radiation therapy will allow the use of reduced doses of radiation therapy and, therefore, less radiation induced side-effects. The primary objective is to determine the activity of this pre-radiation chemotherapy strategy along with reduced dose levels of radiation with or without chemotherapy during the radiation phase. The effectiveness of the strategy will be assessed at three months following the completion of the radiation therapy phase and also at two years following completion of the radiation therapy.

Primary Objectives: Develop and pilot test an innovative intervention to determine its feasibility and acceptability to patients. Recruitment rate, patient satisfaction, attendance, questionnaire completion rates and the reliability and validity of the questionnaires will be assessed. Conduct preliminary analyses on the efficacy of the intervention in improving patients' depression. Evaluate whether depression levels in patients receiving the intervention decreases, and whether the decrease is greater among those who complete more sessions. Test the relationship between patients' depression levels and adherence to swallowing rehabilitation and to dental preventive maintenance regimens.

This trial studies how well digital PET scan works in predicting outcomes in patients with oropharyngeal cancer that has spread from where it started to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced). The development of digital detectors for PET is a technological improvement in medical imaging that could potentially impact many areas of clinical oncology, including staging, radiation planning accuracy, and the assessment of treatment response. Digital technology may improve PET imaging performance by providing better timing, energy and spatial resolution, higher count rate capabilities and linearity, increased contrast, and reduced noise. Utilizing digital PET scan, may work better in predicting outcomes and treatment response in patients with oropharyngeal cancer compared to conventional PET.

This phase II trial studies how well radiation therapy and cisplatin with or without cetuximab works in treating patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) positive, KRAS-variant stage III-IV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, may help the body?s immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving radiation therapy, cisplatin, and cetuximab may work better in treating patients with HPV positive, KRAS-variant oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma compared to radiation therapy and cisplatin alone.

This pilot research trial studies circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in predicting outcomes in patients with stage IV head and neck cancer or stage III-IV non-small cell lung cancer. Studying circulating tumor DNA from patients with head and neck or lung cancer in the laboratory may help doctors predict how well patients will respond to treatment.

Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of intratumoral (in the tumor) PV701 in treating patients who have advanced or recurrent unresectable squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) of the head and neck. Vaccines made from a specially-modified virus such as PV701 may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells while leaving normal cells undamaged. Injecting PV701 directly into the tumor may cause a stronger immune response and kill more tumor cells

This study will screen people for oncogenic oral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and antibodies to form a cohort of people who may be at increased risk of HPV-oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPC). The investigators will follow these individuals prospectively to evaluate oncogenic oral HPV persistence, risk factors, and biomarkers for persistence.

This phase I clinical trial is studying the side effects and the best dose of vorinostat when given together with paclitaxel and carboplatin in treating patients with metastatic or recurrent solid tumors and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Vorinostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving vorinostat together with paclitaxel and carboplatin may kill more tumor cells. NOTE: An administrative decision was made by NCI to halt further study of vorinostat in this specific patient population as of February 1, 2013. No patients remain on vorinostat. Going forward this study will determine the safety and tolerability of the paclitaxel and carboplatin combination in this patient population.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of sunitinib when given together with cetuximab and radiation therapy in treating patients with locally advanced or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Sunitinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. 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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving sunitinib together with cetuximab and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.