Cetuximab, Chemotherapy, and Radiation Therapy for Operable Stage III or IV Head and Neck Cancer
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2011-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different
ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and
help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as
paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either
by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy
x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving cetuximab with combination chemotherapy and radiation
therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that
needs to be removed. Giving cetuximab after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain.
PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving cetuximab together with combination
chemotherapy and radiation therapy works in treating patients who are undergoing surgery for
stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.