Radiation Therapy and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2005-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
PURPOSE: Randomized phase 2 trial to compare the effectiveness of chemo-radiation therapy (RT
+ cisplatin + 5-FU) with or without tirapazamine for the treatment of patients with stage III
or IV squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck cancer (SCCHN).
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so
they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. Radiation
therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells.
Tirapazamine may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy by making
tumor cells more sensitive to therapy.