PHASE III TRIAL OF CONCURRENT RADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY FOR HEAD/NECK CANCER

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The treatment of advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) has been the subject of intensive investigation during the last two decades. Up to a few years ago, surgical resection, often followed by adjuvant radiotherapy, was the standard of care in most cases despite the resulting cosmetic and functional impairment affecting the quality of life (QOL). Results of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy as a single modality for patients with resectable and unresctable advanced HNSCC are rather poor in terms of local control and survival. Therefore, new fractionation regimens and the combination of radiation and chemotherapy have been studied to improve non-surgical treatment results of advanced head and neck cancers. The main purpose of this study is to compare the standard treatment for advanced head and neck cancer with another method of giving radiation treatments. The researchers of this study will be looking at the effects of the regimens on subjects and their quality of life. Biologic markers will also be studied to assist in predicting and treating head and neck cancer patients in the future.