Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

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.

The purpose of this Phase I study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of two chemotherapies drugs, Cetuximab and Pemetrexed (Alimta), when given in combination with radiation therapy.

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.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. 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. Cisplatin may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. 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. Giving radiation therapy and cisplatin together with cetuximab may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy and cisplatin are more effective with or without cetuximab in treating head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying radiation therapy, cisplatin, and cetuximab to see how well they work compared to radiation therapy and cisplatin in treating patients with stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.

The purpose of the trial is to study the safety and efficacy of the Medpulser Electroporation System with bleomycin in the treatment of head and neck cancer.

Immobilization devices such as thermoplastic masks are used routinely in the radiation treatment of head and neck cancer patients. It is important to assess how well they function at preventing patient motion while the radiation treatment is being delivered. (i.e. isocentre set-up margins, patient motion with the mask). If these new thermoplastic masks such as MedTec S-frame allow less movement, then smaller margins are needed during radiation therapy which, in turn, would decrease side effects from the treatment.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a progressive therapeutic exercise program on specific physical and functional deficits in the neck and shoulder region occurring as a result of head and neck cancer treatment.

Study Objectives: To determine the MTD (maximal tolerated dose) and recommended dose of a weekly docetaxel and cisplatin combination regimen for locoregional recurrent/metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN) To determine the response rate of the recommended dose To determine the safety and tolerability of the recommended dose

Recent progress in treatment of recurrent/metastatic SCCHN has been made with the introduction of the taxanes. Docetaxel as a single agent has a response rate of 22-42% and 17% in patients with recurrent disease. Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine prodrug that is converted into 5-FU. Previous studies have shown that the capecitabine/docetaxel combination has a synergistic inhibition of tumor growth, resulting in significantly superior efficacy in time to disease progression (TTP), overall survival, median survival and objective tumor response rate compared to docetaxel alone. This trial will investigate the efficacy the combination of docetaxel and capecitabine in treating patients with recurrent/metastatic SCCHN.

Purpose of this study: There is some evidence that the best treatment for head and neck cancer involves a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is a form of cancer treatment using high energy x-rays. Chemotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses special medications. This study uses two chemotherapy drugs (Taxol and Carboplatin), which are FDA approved for treating head and neck cancers. This treatment combination has been associated with difficulty, pain, or a burning sensation upon swallowing (called esophagitis), and decrease in blood cells (cells in the blood which fight against infection). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the addition of another drug, Amifostine, can reduce the side effects of current combination treatment (radiation and chemotherapy which is standard of care). The addition of Amifostine is the investigational part of the study. The research study is also looking at the side effects of Amifostine and cancer's growth response to this combination treatment.