Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer
Keywords: stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 145
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
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.

Detailed description:
OBJECTIVES:

Primary

* Compare 3-year survival of patients with previously untreated stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with induction chemotherapy comprising docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil followed by radiotherapy and carboplatin or docetaxel vs radiotherapy and cisplatin only.

Secondary

* Compare 2-year progression-free status in patients treated with these regimens.
* Compare 5-year survival of patients treated with these regimens.
* Compare 3- and 5-year progression-free survival of patients treated with these regimens.
* Compare the complete response rate in patients treated with these regimens.
* Compare tumor site-specific survival in patients treated with these regimens.
* Compare functional organ preservation in patients treated with these regimens.
* Compare the toxicity of these regimens in these patients.
* Compare the quality of life of patients treated with these regimens.
* Correlate tissue and germline markers with response, local/regional control, and the development of distant metastases in patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

* Arm I: Patients receive induction chemotherapy comprising docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 3 courses. Patients achieving a pathologic complete response at the primary site and a clinical complete response in the neck then receive carboplatin once weekly and undergo concurrent radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 7 weeks. Patients with a partial response at the primary site (i.e., positive biopsy), stable disease, or radiographic evidence of persistent disease in the neck receive docetaxel once weekly for 4 weeks and undergo concurrent radiotherapy once or twice daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks.
* Arm II: Patients receive cisplatin IV on weeks 1 and 4 and undergo concurrent radiotherapy once or twice daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline and then at 3, 12, and 24 months.

Patients are followed monthly for 1 year, every 2 months for 1 year, every 3 months for 1 year, and then every 6 months thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 330 patients will be accrued for this study.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients receive induction chemotherapy comprising docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 3 courses. Patients achieving a pathologic complete response at the primary site and a clinical complete response in the neck then receive carboplatin once weekly and undergo concurrent radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 7 weeks. Patients with a partial response at the primary site (i.e., positive biopsy), stable disease, or radiographic evidence of persistent disease in the neck receive docetaxel once weekly for 4 weeks and undergo concurrent radiotherapy once or twice daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. arm 2: Patients receive cisplatin IV on weeks 1 and 4 and undergo concurrent radiotherapy once or twice daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks.

Interventions: intervention 1: carboplatin intervention 2: cisplatin intervention 3: docetaxel intervention 4: fluorouracil
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Given IV intervention 2: Given IV intervention 3: Given IV intervention 4: Given IV

Protocol document: