Combination Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Advanced and/or Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00004097 |
Recruitment Status
: Unknown
Verified October 2001 by National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Recruitment status was: Active, not recruiting
First Posted
: March 31, 2004
Last Update Posted
: September 20, 2013
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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 chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.
PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have advanced and/or recurrent head and neck cancer.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Head and Neck Cancer | Drug: fluorouracil Drug: gemcitabine hydrochloride Drug: paclitaxel Radiation: radiation therapy | Phase 1 |
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of gemcitabine when administered with paclitaxel and fluorouracil with concurrent hyperfractionated radiotherapy in patients with advanced and/or recurrent head and neck cancer. II. Determine the MTD and DLT of gemcitabine as a single agent with radiotherapy in these patients. III. Determine the efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in terms of time to progression, pattern of failure, and overall survival in patients with measurable disease. IV. Determine gemcitabine and fluorouracil pharmacokinetics in these patients.
OUTLINE: This is a dose escalation study of gemcitabine, conducted in two phases. Phase A: Patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously on days 1-5, paclitaxel IV over 1 hour on day 2, and radiotherapy administered twice daily on days 1-5. This regimen is repeated every 2 weeks for 2 courses, then gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes is added on day 2 after paclitaxel. This regimen is administered every 2 weeks for 3 courses. Patients with responsive disease may continue chemotherapy (without radiotherapy) for 2 courses beyond maximum response. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of gemcitabine until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose at which 3 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Phase B: After the MTD of gemcitabine is determined in phase A, further dose escalation of gemcitabine may be performed with concurrent radiotherapy (without fluorouracil or paclitaxel). The MTD is determined as in phase A. Patients are followed monthly for 1 year and then every 3 months thereafter.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 30-40 patients will be accrued for this study within approximately 2 years.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Phase I Study of Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy With Gemcitabine, Paclitaxel, and 5-FU for Patients With Advanced and/or Recurrent Cancer of the Head and Neck |
Study Start Date : | August 1999 |


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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically or cytologically proven head and neck cancer requiring regional radiotherapy Locoregional, recurrent disease after primary therapy with surgery, radiation, or both OR Stage IV, no prior therapy, and not amenable to conventional therapy with curative intent Metastatic disease allowed if predominant site and associated symptoms require local treatment in the head and neck region
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 3,000/mm3 Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL Transaminases no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Other: Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception No significant infection No other severe medical illness
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: Recovered from any prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: See Disease Characteristics Recovered from any prior radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics Recovered from any prior surgery

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00004097
United States, Illinois | |
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University | |
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611-3013 | |
University of Chicago Cancer Research Center | |
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637-1470 |
Study Chair: | Athanassios Argiris, MD | Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00004097 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
NU C97N2 NU-C97N2 NCI-G99-1590 |
First Posted: | March 31, 2004 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | September 20, 2013 |
Last Verified: | October 2001 |
Keywords provided by National Cancer Institute (NCI):
stage III nasopharyngeal cancer stage IV nasopharyngeal cancer recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer untreated metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary recurrent metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary stage III lip and oral cavity cancer stage IV lip and oral cavity cancer recurrent lip and oral cavity cancer stage III hypopharyngeal cancer stage IV hypopharyngeal cancer |
recurrent hypopharyngeal cancer stage III laryngeal cancer stage IV laryngeal cancer recurrent laryngeal cancer stage III paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer stage IV paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer recurrent paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer stage III oropharyngeal cancer stage IV oropharyngeal cancer recurrent oropharyngeal cancer |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Head and Neck Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Paclitaxel Gemcitabine Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel Fluorouracil Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic Antineoplastic Agents Tubulin Modulators Antimitotic Agents |
Mitosis Modulators Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic Antimetabolites Antiviral Agents Anti-Infective Agents Enzyme Inhibitors Immunosuppressive Agents Immunologic Factors Physiological Effects of Drugs |