Adjuvant treatment of resected head and neck cancers The incidence of locoregional failures and distant metastasis is high after primary resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC), especially in patients with unfavorable prognostic factors such as residual disease, histological evidence of extracapsular spread, and/or multiple neck nodes. RT is indicated as an adjuvant therapy to surgery. In the past 2 decades, RT was mainly delivered post-operatively, and the therapeutic gain with this combination is now well documented. Despite an overall 2-year freedom of recurrance of approximately of 70-75%, survival rates are usually poor in the whole HNSCC patient population, and they usually do not exceed 30 to 35% at 5 years. The incidence of metastases in locally advanced but resectable head and neck cancer can reach 15 to 20%. The role of systemic chemotherapy has been tested in clinical trials to determine if the addition of chemotherapy can decrease locoregional and distant failure and improve survival.

Oxaliplatin and radiation in solid tumors Oxalipaltin-containing regimens have been safely and successfully used in combination with concurrent radiation in treatment of solid tumors such as rectal and esophageal cancers. Results of previous trials indicated that combination of oxaliplatin and radiation is safe and efficacious and dose not compromise surgical wound healing, repair and clinical outcome.

Oxaliplatin and radiation in head and neck cancer Oxaliplatin and radiation has been used in a randomized phase II study comparing standard radiation with or without weekly oxaliplatin in the treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Radiation was administered at 70-74 Gy to the primary tumor site, 60-64 Gy to the involved areas of the neck and 50 Gy to the uninvolved area of the neck. Chemotherapy with oxaliplatin at 70 mg/m2 was given weekly for 6 courses with standard radiation in the investigational arm. Interim results concurrent radiation with weekly oxaliplatin resulted in a higher complete response in the primary tumor site and in the cervical lymph nodes. There was no difference in the incidences of dry mouth, stomatitis, skin reaction, peripheral neuropathy or hematological toxicities between the 2 treatment arms. Patients receiving the concurrent radiation and oxaliplatin treatment did experience more gastrointestinal toxicities mostly nausea and vomiting. The only grade 3 toxicities are thrombocytopenia (5.1%), nausea/vomiting (12.8%) and skin reaction (25.6%).

Microscopically involved margins, involvement of two or more nodes, extracapusular spread, presence of perineural involvement, and vascular embolisms are associated with an approximately 25% to 30% probability of developing locoregional failure. The addition of cisplatin to radiation reduces the locoregional failure and distant metastasis. We propose to investigate the toxicities of using weekly oxaliplatin with radiation in the treatment of high risk resected head and neck patients since oxaliplatin has a better side effects profile. The high risk factors will be the same criteria utilized in both RTOG 9501 and EORTC 22931. They include microscopically involved margins, involvement of two or more nodes, extracapusular spread, presence of perineural involvement, vascular embolisms, and oral cavity or oropharyngeal carcinoma with lymph nodes metastasis at level IV or V.