Amifostine to Treat Side Effects of Treatment in Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy and Cisplatin for Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2004-05-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Drugs such as amifostine may protect normal cells from the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of amifostine in treating side effects of treatment in patients receiving radiation therapy and cisplatin for advanced head and neck cancer.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Tennessee
• Treatments: Amifostine; Cisplatin

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx Previously untreated Stage III or IV No distant metastatic disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Creatinine clearance greater than 61 mL/min Other: No history of any underlying medical or psychiatric illness Not pregnant or nursing Effective contraception required of all fertile patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: No prior therapy for head and neck cancer Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: Not specified Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: Not specified Surgery: Not specified Other: At least 24 hours since prior antihypertensive medication