Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy With or Without Surgery in Treating Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy (RT) uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving radiation therapy in different ways and combining it with chemotherapy before surgery may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which radiation therapy regimen combined with chemotherapy with or without surgery is more effective for head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare two different radiation therapy regimens combined with cisplatin with or without surgery in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

* Compare overall survival of patients with stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with conventional vs accelerated radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin with or without surgical resection.

Secondary

* Compare local-regional control of disease and disease-free rates in patients treated with these regimens.
* Compare the acute and late toxicity of these regimens in these patients.
* Compare quality of life, perception of side effects, and performance status of patients treated with these regimens.
* Determine whether epidermal growth factor receptor and cyclo-oxygenase-2 expressions are independent prognostic markers in patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to tumor site (larynx vs other), nodal stage (N0 vs N1 or N2a or N2b vs N2c or N3), and Zubrod performance status (0 vs 1). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

* Arm I: Patients undergo standard fractionation radiotherapy 5 days a week for 7 weeks. Patients also receive cisplatin IV on days 1, 22, and 43.
* Arm II: Patients undergo accelerated fractionation radiotherapy 5 days a week for 3.5 weeks and then twice a day, 5 days a week, for 2.5 weeks. Patients also receive cisplatin IV on days 1 and 22.

Patients with biopsy-proven relapsed disease more than 3 months after completion of therapy undergo surgical resection of the primary tumor.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, during one of the last 2 weeks of treatment, at 3 and 12 months, and then annually for 4 years.

Patients are followed at 6-8 weeks, every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 720 patients (360 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 3 years.

Eligibility Criteria:
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx

  * Stage III or IV (T2, N2-3, M0 or T3-4, any N, M0)
* No metastases below the clavicle or more distant by clinical exam or radiology

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* Zubrod 0-1

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* Absolute granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
* Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal

Renal

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
* Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
* Calcium normal

Cardiovascular

* No symptomatic coronary artery disease (angina)
* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

Other

* No other invasive malignancy within the past 3 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
* No simultaneous primary tumors
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Not specified

Chemotherapy

* No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

* Not specified

Radiotherapy

* No prior radiotherapy to the head and neck except radioactive iodine therapy

Surgery

* No prior surgery to the primary tumor or nodes except diagnostic biopsy or nodal sampling of neck disease

  * No radical or modified neck dissection