Active clinical trials for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of treatment with Tarceva (Erlotinib) and RADPLAT (RADiation and intraarterial cisPLATin) for patients with Head and Neck cancer

The purpose of this trial is to determine the safety of zalutumumab as a treatment for head and neck cancer.

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.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving gemcitabine together with paclitaxel may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving gemcitabine together with paclitaxel works in treating patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic head and neck cancer.

This study utilizes two cycles of Paclitaxel and Carboplatin chemotherapies followed by four small doses of radiation, prior to other treatment (surgery or radiation). This study is evaluating if radiation as a chemoenhancer increases the response rate of initial therapy.

Radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent chemotherapy represents the state of the art in curative intent treatment for locally advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck. Tumor hypoxia and high levels of angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) are associated with treatment failure. Preclinical models reveal that radiotherapy itself may induce tumor secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Curability may consequently be reduced by multiple mechanisms. Over-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) also occurs commonly and increases the risk of treatment failure. The addition of EGFR blockade to RT alone increases the chance of a cure. Concurrent VEGF and EGFR blockade could be synergistic with one another and improve the effectiveness of concurrent chemoradiation for advanced head and neck cancer. This study will add angiogenic and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) blockade into an established program of curative intent concurrent chemoradiation for locally advanced head and neck cancer. The safety and effectiveness of delivering the drugs bevacizumab and Tarceva in conjunction with twice daily irradiation and concurrent cisplatin (CDDP) chemotherapy will be determined.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies such as erlotinib may interfere with the growth of tumor cells and slow the growth of the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining erlotinib with cisplatin may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of combining erlotinib and cisplatin in treating patients who have recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Motexafin gadolinium may increase the effectiveness of doxorubicin by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combining motexafin gadolinium with doxorubicin in treating patients who have recurrent or metastatic cancer.

The purpose of this study will be to determine the safety and tolerability of intratumoral M4N. Patients suffering from cancer of the head and neck that is recurrent after primary treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy may be eligible. The design is a Phase 1 dose escalation study of M4N administered intratumorally once weekly, initially for three weeks. Dose will be escalated on the starting schedule to a target of 20 mg/cm3 tumor volume and then, new patient cohorts will have their schedule extended to weekly M4N for 4 weeks. Dose escalation will continue, assuming tolerability, so that cohorts will be treated for 6 weeks, and finally, 8 weeks.