View clinical trials related to Head and Neck Neoplasms.
Filter by:RATIONALE: Biological therapies such as ZD 1839 may interfere with the growth of tumor cells and slow the growth of head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of ZD1839 in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent cancer of the head and neck.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Colony-stimulating factors such as filgrastim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help a person's immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus filgrastim in treating patients who have advanced solid tumors.
RATIONALE: Chemoprevention therapy is the use of certain drugs to try to prevent the development of cancer. The use of celecoxib may be an effective way to prevent the further development of precancerous lesions in the mouth. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of different regimens of celecoxib in treating patients who have precancerous lesions in the mouth.
RATIONALE: New imaging procedures such as lymphoscintigraphy may improve the ability to detect the spread of mouth and throat cancer to lymph nodes in the neck. PURPOSE: Pilot study of lymphoscintigraphy followed by sentinel lymph node mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy to detect lymph node metastases in the neck in patients who have mouth or throat cancer.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy following surgery may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have undergone surgery for stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.
This purpose of this protocol is to evaluate and identify patients who may be eligible for actively enrolling NIH clinical research protocols for head and neck cancer; or provide standard evaluations and treatment necessary for patients with head and neck cancers enrolled in other NIH clinical protocols that do not include such treatment. Participants screened under this protocol will not be required to join a research study; the decision will be voluntary. Patients with head and neck cancer may enroll in this study. Participants may undergo various tests, described below, to determine their eligibility for participation in a specific clinical trial. Other tests may also be required, depending on the protocol or treatment for which the patient is being considered: - Blood tests About 3 to 5 tablespoons of blood will be drawn for routine tests, HLA typing and hepatitis and HIV screening. - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) This imaging procedure uses a powerful magnetic field to produce pictures of parts of the body in small section views. The test does not use radiation and may be done with or without a contrast dye material. - Computerized tomography (CT) This procedure uses x-rays to produces three-dimensional images of body organs in small section views. A contrast dye may or may not be used. - Positron emission tomography (PET) PET scans allow the doctor to see the activity of cells in specific body tissues. It requires injection of a radioactive material that attaches to a sugar fluid. The fluid goes to very active cells, such as cancer cells, revealing tumors. - Pulmonary function tests These tests use a machine the patient breathes into to measure the volume of air the patient can move in and out of the lungs. - Arteriogram, or angiogram The anatomy of the blood vessels can be seen using this procedure, which involves placing a small catheter (plastic tube) into an artery and injecting a contrast solution. Special X-rays are then taken to show the blood vessels. - Endoscopy This procedure is done to evaluate the mouth and throat. A tube with a light on the end and special fibers is inserted down the throat to allow the surgeon to examine the throat and, if needed, biopsy a piece of tissue for microscopic study. The test is usually done under general anesthesia in the operating room. - Biopsy A piece of tissue or tumor is removed for examination under the microscope. When a biopsy is done in the neck area, a small amount of anesthetic is injected into the area of the biopsy. The biopsy may be done with 1) a small needle to pull out some tissue, 2) a cookie-cutter-like instrument to punch out a small piece of tissue, or 3) a small knife to cut out a piece of tissue. A knife biopsy may be done in the operating room or the clinic depending on the location of the biopsy and precautions required. When the tests are done, the physician will discuss the results with the patient. Patients eligible for a research study will be offered participation. For those not eligible for a study, other therapies will be discussed and the patient will return to the care of his or her primary physician. In special circumstances, patients may be offered standard non-experimental treatment at NIH.
RATIONALE: Gene therapy may kill cancer cells by inhibiting a gene that promotes the development and growth of cancer. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of gene therapy in treating patients who have advanced head and neck cancer.
RATIONALE: Sargramostim may lessen symptoms of mucositis in patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. It is not yet known if sargramostim is more effective than no treatment in reducing mucositis caused by radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of sargramostim in decreasing mucositis in patients who are receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplant may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplant work in treating patients with central nervous system cancer.
RATIONALE: Glutamine may be effective in decreasing side effects, such as inflammation of the mouth and throat, caused by radiation therapy. The effectiveness of glutamine for mucositis is not yet known. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of glutamine in treating patients who develop mucositis following radiation therapy for newly diagnosed cancer of the mouth or throat.