Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 5
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
RATIONALE: Drugs such as valproic acid may make thyroid cancers more radioiodine sensitive, which will allow for detection of tumor and make further ablation treatment effective.

Detailed description:
PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well valproic acid works in treating patients with thyroid cancers that do not respond well to other treatments.

Arms:
arm 1: If a patient exhibits increased radioiodine uptake on the Thyrogen scan post valproic acid therapy, patients will then prepare for ablative treatment and will remain on valproic acid for a total of 16 weeks, until receiving RAI ablation. arm 2: If no increased uptake is seen, patients will continue on valproic acid for 6 additional weeks at an increased dosage, totaling an overall treatment time of 16 weeks as well.

Interventions: intervention 1: Valproic Acid
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: OUTLINE: This is a pilot study.

Patients receive valproic acid daily for 16 weeks. Dose increases on Days 4 and 8; dose remains the same for weeks 2-10. All patients will undergo a Thyrogen® (thyrotropin alfa for injection) RAI scan at entry to the study and after completion of 10 weeks of valproic acid treatment.

Quality of life is assessed at the end of every week through a study diary.

Patients are followed at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 17 (Schedule 1) weeks. Patients return for follow-up at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Protocol document: