Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

This study will evaluate the local control rates as well as acute and late toxicity rates of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of benign and malignant head and neck tumors.

The purpose of this study is to study the effect of the drug DCA (dichloroacetate) on recurrent head and neck cancers. Part of this study will also use EF5 PET scan to study tumor hypoxia.

Over the last 30 years, induction chemotherapy (IC) has become important for the management of patients with locally advanced HNSCC (LAHNSCC), particularly since the introduction of taxanes. The results reported in the TAX 323 and TAX 324 trials indicate that the TPF regimen (docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) improves overall survival comparing with the PF regimen (cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil), and the TPF regimen is globally the most accepted induction regimen for the treatment of LAHNSCC. However, the TPF regimen has been associated with high toxicity rates, and patients frequently decline cisplatin during concurrent radiotherapy and require the use of infusion pumps and a central venous catheter. Extensive efforts are ongoing to identify alternative schemes that are less toxic than the TPF regimen but are as effective for LAHNSCC and safely allow the use of definitive concurrent treatment based on cisplatin and radiotherapy.

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. Sorafenib tosylate 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. It is not yet known whether cetuximab is more effective when given alone or together with sorafenib tosylate in treating patients with head and neck cancer. This randomized phase II trial is studying cetuximab to see how well it works when given together with or without sorafenib tosylate in treating patients with refractory, recurrent, and/or metastatic head and neck cancer.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of solid tumors by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving bortezomib together with gemcitabine may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of bortezomib and gemcitabine in treating older patients with advanced solid tumors.

The purpose of this study is to define the response and toxicities with the addition of Nimotuzumab to chemoradiation for head and neck cancer.

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of combined administration of different LBH589 dosages with radiotherapy in order to establish the dosage to be evaluated in future studies.

This is a Phase II study of cetuximab, carboplatin and radiotherapy (RT) in patients with Locally Advanced Head and Neck Carcinomas (LAHNC) who are unfit for cisplatin. The aim of this study is to show the feasibility and safety profile of the combination of cetuximab, carboplatin and RT in treatment of patients with LAHNC.

RATIONALE: BI 2536 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well BI 2536 works in treating patients with recurrent or metastatic solid tumors.

The purpose of this study is to test whether the use of advanced radiation therapy delivery techniques can spare a patient's normal tissue, including salivary glands, from radiation. This study is being done to try to reduce radiation side effects, especially mouth dryness, which happens with standard radiation methods. In order to reduce these side effects, other normal tissues may receive a different radiation dose (sometimes more) than what would have been received using standard radiation therapy. A secondary goal of this study is to determine if the type of tumor a patient has can be controlled at least as well (or better) using this advanced radiation therapy delivery technique as it would be if the patient was treated with standard radiation therapy.