A Pilot Study of Paclitaxel With Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

March 3, 2008 updated by: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Radiotherapy plus Single-Agent Chemotherapy/Radiosensitization. Irradiation of tumor and involved nodes using 4-6 MV photons (brachytherapy allowed to boost primary tumor; electrons allowed to boost posterior neck and massive adenopathy); plus Paclitaxel (Bristol-Myers), Taxol, TAX, NSC-125973.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

This is a pilot study designed to evaluate the toxicity of a five day infusion of Paclitaxel concurrent with radiation therapy for advanced head and neck cancers. Patients with previously untreated Stage III and IV squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, nasopharynx, larynx and maxillary sinus, as well as Stage II SCC of the base of the tongue, nasopharynx, and maxillary sinus will be eligible. Radiation therapy will be delivered at 180 cGy per day to a total dose 6660-7200 cGy. Individual neck nodes can be boosted with electrons up to 7600 cGy. Patients will also receive Paclitaxel as a continuous IV infusion of 120 mg/m(2) over 120 hours through a central venous catheter. Tolerance of this regimen will be judged by using the RTOG and CTEP standard toxicity criteria and by following the median elapsed treatment time. Serial tumor biopsies will be obtained to measure the following parameters: tumor potential doubling time (Tpot), paclitaxel levels in tumor, and biological effects upon the cell cycle.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

35

Phase

  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Patients must satisfy the following criteria:

The patient must have a biopsy proven diagnosis of carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, nasopharynx, larynx, maxillary sinus. Squamous cell, lymphoepithelioma, transitional cell and undifferentiated histologies will be included.

We will accept AJCC stages III-IV for all the sites, except base of tongue, nasopharynx, and maxillary sinus where we will accept stage II patients as well.

Patients must have no surgical option or have refused surgery.

Patients with evidence of distant metastasis not confined to the region of the head and neck will be excluded.

All patients will be evaluated by either the NIH or National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery center.

Patients must have had no prior radiotherapy to the head and neck region and no prior treatment with chemotherapy for their head and neck cancers.

Patients must have a performance status of less then or equal to 2 (ECOG Criteria).

Patients must have an absolute granulocyte count of greater than or equal to 2000/mm(3) and a platelet count of greater than or equal to 100,000/mm(3).

Patients should have adequate hepatic and renal function as indicated by a serum bilirubin of less than or equal to 2.0 mg/dl and SGOT of less than or equal to 4.0 times the upper limit of the institutional norm and a serum creatinine of less than or equal to 1.5 mg/dl.

No other serious concurrent medical or psychiatric illness which would jeopardize the ability of the patient to receive with reasonable safety the chemotherapy and radiation therapy outlined in this protocol is allowed.

No other active, concomitant malignancy other than curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell carcinoma of the skin is allowed.

Patients must be at least 18 years old.

Signed informed consent: Each patient must be aware of the neoplastic nature of his/her disease and willingly consent after being informed of the procedure to be followed, the experimental nature of the therapy, alternatives, potential benefits, side effects, risks, and discomforts.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers are ineligible.

Eligible patients of childbearing potential should use contraception.

Patients will be registered on the protocol by telephone. An authorized physician will telephone information concerning a potential candidate for this protocol to the Orkand personnel in their Central Clinical Data Management Registration Office at (301) 402-1732 between the hours of 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

July 1, 1995

Study Completion

June 1, 2004

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 3, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 1999

First Posted (Estimate)

November 4, 1999

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

March 4, 2008

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 3, 2008

Last Verified

June 1, 2004

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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