View clinical trials related to Head and Neck Cancer.
Filter by:This is a non-randomized phase II study of targeted radiotherapy (RT) administered concurrently with panitumumab in patients with locally advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck.
This study will test whether it is possible to introduce new genetic material into a small portion of a tumor and have the product of the new gene not only kill those tumor cells that were infected initially, but also the surrounding tumor cells as well with limited or no harm to the patient. The desired effects of this approach are achieved by focusing potent chemotherapies directly within the tumor itself and, as a result, avoiding injury to the remainder of the body. In this study, we will use two components, the first of which is a virus, known as an adenovirus, that has been crippled (i.e., it cannot make more of itself) and loaded with a bacterial gene called E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). Adenoviruses are considered to be relatively safe vehicles for gene delivery and are presently being used in numerous human trials and therapies worldwide, including a head and neck cancer therapy approved for use outside the United States. The loaded adenovirus will be used to deliver the PNP gene directly into a tumor in patients. This gene is not expected to have an effect itself. However, the gene produces PNP inside the tumor and this protein will activate the second component of the therapy, a drug called fludarabine phosphate, which is approved by the FDA for certain types of blood-cell cancers, but has not been shown to be effective against most solid tumors. The proposed therapy gives the patient several infusions of fludarabine following the injection of the virus carrying the PNP gene and, as the fludarabine enters the tumor, it will be converted by PNP into a second compound, fluoroadenine. Numerous studies in mice and rats have shown that fluoroadenine is a very potent anti-cancer agent and that it will kill the tumor cells where it is made as well as those in the immediately surrounding area.
RATIONALE: 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 or by stopping them from dividing. 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. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy is more effective with cisplatin or cetuximab in treating oropharyngeal cancer. PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying radiation therapy with cisplatin or cetuximab to see how well it works in treating patients with oropharyngeal cancer.
The aim of this trial is to compare the accelerated fractionation radiotherapy and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in terms of loco-regional control, toxicities and quality of life.
The proposed study is a first-in-human pilot of a novel anti-cancer strategy: Metnase inhibition to potentiate DNA damaging chemotherapy. The investigators will conduct serial tumor biopsies in subjects with HNSCC at three timepoints: baseline, after cisplatin, and after cisplatin-raltegravir. The investigators will investigate immunohistochemical expression changes of γH2AX, Chk2, and Annexin V, three biomarkers of DNA damage and apoptosis. The study is designed to identify an intermediate signal of the potentiation of cisplatin chemotherapy by raltegravir in HNSCC, which will justify a future phase I/II study.
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if acupuncture can help to prevent xerostomia (dry mouth) and improve the quality of life in patients who receive radiation treatment to the head and neck. This study will determine if one acupuncture treatment approach is more effective than another. Dry mouth is a common problem among cancer patients who have received radiation treatment to the head and neck.
The clinical hypothesis of this study is that the first-line treatment with the combination of panitumumab and paclitaxel will provide benefit for patients with metastatic or current Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN)
RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning before surgery, may help measure the extent of disease. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying PET/CT scanning before surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, or head and neck cancer.
Cancer survivorship has dramatically improved within the last four decades and a greater number of Americans are living after cancer diagnosis. An increase in the number of survivors has highlighted the need to investigate the quality of life experienced by these survivors. While Survivorship research has improved our understanding of the challenges faced by some cancer survivors, there is a paucity of research on the functional and cognitive health status of head and neck cancer survivors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the functional and cognitive changes that occur in head and neck cancer patients as a result of cancer treatment, in an attempt to increase our understanding of the complex interactions between cancer treatment, comorbid health ailments and quality of life.
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. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy is more effective when given together with chemotherapy or alone after surgery in treating salivary gland tumors. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II/III trial is studying radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy to see how well it works in treating patients with high-risk malignant salivary gland tumors that have been removed by surgery.