Porfimer Sodium in Diagnosing Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 1969-12-31
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs that make cancer cells more visible to light may help in the diagnosis of head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the usefulness of porfimer sodium in diagnosing patients with head and neck cancer.

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

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Roswell Park Cancer Institute
• Treatments: Dihematoporphyrin Ether; Trioxsalen

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Malignant or suspected lesions of the head and neck that are scheduled for excisional biopsy Lesions no greater than 2 cm in diameter in the mouth, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx Suspected severe dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and/or invasive carcinoma of the head and neck

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 3500/mm3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal Bilirubin no greater than 2 mg/dL Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.5 mg/dL Other: No known hypersensitivity to porphyrins Not pregnant Fertile patients must use effective birth control

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Not specified