View clinical trials related to Head and Neck Cancer.
Filter by:This study plans to examine the effects of Capecitabine administered as an oral chemotherapy drug in participants with nasopharyngeal cancer. Capecitabine is an oral prodrug. A "prodrug" is a drug that is converted within the body into its active form that has medical effects. Capecitabine is a prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which is a chemotherapy agent frequently used to treat head and neck cancers. Capecitabine is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and is converted to 5-FU. Capecitabine (Xeloda9) has been tested in subjects with colorectal and breast cancers, and shown to be effective in those cancers. Likewise, 5-FU has shown benefit when administered as a continuous infusion for those with nasopharyngeal cancers. Since Capecitabine is a prodrug of 5-FU, it is possible that similar results will be achieved. RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of capecitabine in treating patients who have locally recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, cisplatin, fluorouracil, and carboplatin, work in 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 may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which regimen of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is most effective in treating head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of two different regimens of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.
RATIONALE: Gefitinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of gefitinib in treating patients who have locally advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer that did not respond to iodine therapy.
RATIONALE: Acupuncture may help relieve pain and dysfunction caused by cancer surgery. It is not yet known whether acupuncture is more effective than standard therapy in treating pain and dysfunction in patients who have undergone neck surgery for head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying acupuncture to see how well it works compared to standard therapy in treating pain and dysfunction in patients who have undergone neck surgery for head and neck cancer.
RATIONALE: 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. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving cetuximab with combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. Giving cetuximab after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving cetuximab together with combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy works in treating patients who are undergoing surgery for stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.
RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies such as cetuximab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and docetaxel, work in 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. Cisplatin and docetaxel may make the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Combining a monoclonal antibody with chemoradiotherapy and giving them after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying adjuvant cetuximab given together with chemoradiotherapy using cisplatin to see how well it works compared to adjuvant cetuximab given together with chemoradiotherapy using docetaxel in treating patients with resected stage III or stage IV squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) or lymphoepithelioma of the head and neck.
RATIONALE: Gefitinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, work in 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. Giving gefitinib and paclitaxel together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gefitinib and paclitaxel when given together with radiation therapy in treating patients with advanced or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) of the head and neck.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and gemcitabine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving gemcitabine together with either cisplatin or carboplatin works in treating patients with locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic malignant salivary gland tumor (cancer).
RATIONALE: Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. Giving erlotinib after chemoradiotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of adjuvant erlotinib when given after completing chemoradiotherapy in treating patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) of the head and neck.
RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Radiosensitizing drugs, such as cytochlor and tetrahydrouridine, may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. 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. Combining radiosensitizers with chemotherapy and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of cytochlor when given together with tetrahydrouridine, cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (mouth) or oropharynx (throat).