View clinical trials related to Head and Neck Neoplasms.
Filter by:Tumor cell proliferation and repopulation contribute to resistance to radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. Up to now, this characteristic is mostly assessed using biopsies acquired during inspection under general anaesthesia before treatment. 18F-FLT-PET (positron emission tomography) is a non-invasive imaging method showing areas of active proliferation. The aim of this study is to assess the value of the functional information gained by 18F-FLT-PET for radiotherapy planning and early tumor response assessment. Prior to radiotherapy, a planning CT-scan and a 18F-FLT-PET scan are acquired. After approximately two weeks of radiotherapy a further PET scan is obtained.
Hypoxia and tumor cell proliferation are important mechanisms contributing to resistance to radiotherapy in human head and neck tumor cells. Currently, assessment of these two tumor characteristics is performed in biopsies using immunohistochemical staining and subsequent analysis. A promising non-invasive method of characterizing a tumor is the use of positron-emission tomography (PET). Specific tracers can be used to detect hypoxia and proliferative activity. 18F-misonidazole is a tracer for hypoxia and 18F-thymidine is a tracer for proliferation. Patients suffering from head and neck cancer and who will undergo surgery will be included in this study. One week before the surgery the patients will undergo a CT-scan and a PET-scan with either of the tracers. Shortly before the surgery they will be given immunohistochemically detectable marker substances enabling the characterization of the tumor samples gathered from the resection specimen. These markers are pimonidazole for detection of hypoxia and iododeoxyuridine for detection of tumor cell proliferation. The data collected by PET-scan will be analysed and compared to the results acquired by immunohistochemistry.
Prospective randomized study in order to compare intravenous versus subcutaneous administration of amifostine in patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Salivary flow will be evaluated during few years after the treatment by a clinical evaluation, the measure of the weight of saliva and a patient benefit questionnaire cotation.
Amifostine is a radioprotective drug which is approved by the US FDA for administration prior to each radiation treatment using the intravenous route. The study evaluated the safety of amifostine administered subcutaneously. The four targeted toxicities were nausea/vomiting, hypotension, generalized skin rash, and injection-site skin reactions.
The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness and side effects of a new combination and schedule of chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Patients with advanced or recurrent head and neck cancer, which is untreatable by surgery or radiation therapy are eligible for this study. Standard treatment for advanced or recurrent head and neck cancer involves the use of chemotherapy.
To Study whether infusion of Tranexamic Acid (a synthetic antifibrinolytic agent) reduces blood loss during head and neck surgery.
The purpose of this trial is to determine the ability of positron emission tomography (PET) to detect residual cancer in neck lymph nodes of patients following curative treatment with radiation therapy for squamous cell cancer arising in the head and neck. Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergo treatment of curative intent; patients who are node positive (N2 N3 stages) undergo standard management which includes post-radiation planned neck dissection but two thirds of patients end up not having evidence of residual disease in neck dissection specimens; these patients could have avoided surgery. However, currently used standard tests, like computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cannot reliably predict who is post-radiation disease free.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the biological effect of Tarceva (OSI-774) from an inhibition of EGF tumor receptor tyrosine kinase activity's point of view, for patients who are carriers of head and neck epidermoid carcinoma.
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.
The purpose of this study is to determine the appropriate dose, that dose which is found to give maximum effect with limited toxicity, of cisplatin in combination with docetaxel and 5-fluorouracil and then to further define the safety and effectiveness of this combination of medications.