Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

Summary

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. It is not yet known whether cisplatin plus fluorouracil are more effective than paclitaxel plus cisplatin in treating patients with advanced head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of two combination chemotherapy regimens in treating patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

Timeline

Start

1997-03

Primary completion

—

Completion

2004-08

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper No significant difference in overall survival or response rate was seen. PMID 15908667 ↗

Publications

• Results Gibson MK, Li Y, Murphy B, Hussain MH, DeConti RC, Ensley J, Forastiere AA; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Randomized phase III evaluation of cisplatin plus fluorouracil versus cisplatin plus paclitaxel in advanced head and neck cancer (E1395): an intergroup trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol. 2005 May 20;23(15):3562-7. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2005.01.057.
• Results Argiris A, Li Y, Forastiere A, et al.: Prognostic factors and long-term survivorship in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer (HNC): an analysis of two Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) randomized trials. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 22 (Suppl 14): A-5514, 491s, 2004.
• Results Argiris A, Li Y, Forastiere A. Prognostic factors and long-term survivorship in patients with recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the head and neck. Cancer. 2004 Nov 15;101(10):2222-9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.20640.
• Results Wells N, Murphy B, Dietrich M, et al.: Quality of life and pain assessment for head and neck cancer patients treated on E1395: a comparison of two different cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 21: A-907, 2002.
• Results Murphy B, Li Y, Cella D, et al.: Phase III study comparing cisplatin (C) & 5-flourouracil (F) versus cisplatin & paclitaxel (T) in metastatic/recurrent head & neck cancer (MHNC). [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 20; A-894, 2001.

Drugs

Indications