Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Previously Untreated Thyroid Cancer

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2002-04-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use 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 radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have previously untreated anaplastic thyroid cancer.

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

Details

• Lead Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: Fluorouracil; Hydroxyurea; Paclitaxel

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically or cytologically confirmed anaplastic thyroid cancer Metastatic disease allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 15 to 80 Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times normal Transaminases no greater than 2 times normal Renal: Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Prior simple excision (e.g., transoral laser excision) of the primary lesion allowed if organ function preserved Prior modified neck dissection allowed