Active clinical trials for "Oropharyngeal Neoplasms"

Cancers of the head and neck require surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments that are intended to cure the disease. These treatments have toxic effects on muscles and structures that are necessary to swallow safely and efficiently. The resulting swallowing problems (dysphagia) often remain chronic for Veterans and interfere with their ability to eat and drink. The cost burden to the VA health system is high. There is an urgent need to develop rehabilitative treatments that lessen these burdens. The proposed research is designed to test a novel swallowing therapy that includes the coordination of breathing with swallowing. Our study will train medically and surgically treated, chronically dysphagic Veterans with histories of oropharyngeal cancer in a novel therapy that involves both swallowing and respiratory systems. If the therapy is found to be effective, the long term goal of the project is to extend the study to a multi-site, clinical trial and test the longstanding effect of this treatment compared to other swallowing therapies on swallowing function, QOL and cost.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of photodynamic therapy using HPPH in treating patients who are undergoing surgery for primary or recurrent head and neck cancer. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a drug, such as HPPH, that becomes active when it is exposed to a certain kind of light. When the drug is active, tumor cells are killed. Giving photodynamic therapy after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery.

This phase II trial is studying how well sunitinib works in treating patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer. 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.

Lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for their growth. This phase II trial is studying how well lapatinib works in treating patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer.

This phase II trial is studying how well SB-715992 works in treating patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as SB-715992, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of combining erlotinib with docetaxel in treating patients who have locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic head and neck cancer. Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining erlotinib with docetaxel may kill more tumor cells.

This randomized phase I/II trial is to see if combining erlotinib with bevacizumab works better in treating patients who have recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer. Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes needed for tumor cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or deliver cancer-killing substances to them. Combining erlotinib with bevacizumab may kill more tumor cells.

This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects of erlotinib and to see how well it works in treating patients with metastatic or unresectable non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, or squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) of the head and neck. Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth

Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or deliver cancer-killing substances to them. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in 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 monoclonal antibody therapy with chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be an effective treatment for head and neck cancer. This phase I trial is to see if combining bevacizumab, fluorouracil, and hydroxyurea with radiation therapy works in treating patients who have advanced head and neck cancer

Interleukin-12 may kill tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor and by stimulating a person's white blood cells to kill cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of interleukin-12 and trastuzumab in treating patients who have cancer that has high levels of HER2/neu and has not responded to previous therapy