Radiation + Cisplatin or Panitumumab in Locally Advanced Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2017-02-17
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving radiation
therapy in higher doses over a shorter period of time may kill more tumor cells and have
fewer side effects. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to
stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from
dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as panitumumab, 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. It is not yet known whether giving
standard radiation therapy together with high-dose cisplatin is more effective than giving
higher-dose radiation therapy together with panitumumab in treating patients with locally
advanced head and neck cancer.
PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is comparing two radiation therapy regimens to see
how well they work when given together with cisplatin or panitumumab in treating patients
with locally advanced stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer.