Fluorouracil, Cisplatin, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine progression-free survival of patients with previously untreated stage IIB-IVB nasopharyngeal cancer treated with fluorouracil, cisplatin, and radiotherapy.

Secondary

• Determine overall survival and response rate in patients treated with this regimen.
• Determine compliance to this regimen in these patients.
• Determine the toxicity of this regimen in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive chemotherapy comprising fluorouracil IV continuously on days 1-5 and cisplatin IV continuously on days 6-7. Beginning 2-3 days after the completion of chemotherapy, patients undergo radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. With 2-3 days between each course, patients receive a second course of chemotherapy, undergo a second course of radiotherapy, and then receive a third course of chemotherapy. Treatment continues in the absence of unacceptable toxicity or disease progression.

Patients are followed for 3 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 90 patients will be accrued for this study within 2 years.