Radiation Therapy With or Without Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known if radiation therapy plus chemotherapy is more effective than radiation therapy alone in treating patients with advanced head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of radiation therapy plus cisplatin with radiation therapy alone in treating patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

Sex

All

Minimum age

20 Years

Maximum age

75 Years

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically documented squamous cell cancer of the head and neck in the following sites: Hypopharynx Larynx Oral cavity Oropharynx Stage III/IV disease No distant metastases by the following: Chest x-ray (all patients) Liver ultrasound or CT and bone scintigraphy (all hypopharyngeal cancers, those with involved lower neck nodes, and as clinically indicated) Multiple sites of disease eligible provided radiotherapy treatment volume remains acceptable

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 20 to 75 Performance status: WHO 0-2 Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 3,000 Platelets greater than 100,000 Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Creatinine clearance at least 60 ml/min No renal disease or impairment of renal function Cardiovascular: No coronary heart disease No cardiac failure No history of pulmonary embolism within 2 years Other: No clinical hearing impairment No peripheral neuropathy with concomitant handicap No severe diabetes mellitus with serious vasculopathy or neuropathy No second cancer except: Nonmelanomatous skin or lip cancer In situ carcinoma of the cervix Blood/body fluid analyses to determine eligibility completed within 14 days prior to registration

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: No prior treatment for head and neck cancer Excisional biopsy for diagnosis allowed

• RESULTGhadjar P, Simcock M, Studer G, Allal AS, Ozsahin M, Bernier J, Topfer M, Zimmermann F, Betz M, Glanzmann C, Aebersold DM; Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK). Concomitant cisplatin and hyperfractionated radiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer: 10-year follow-up of a randomized phase III trial (SAKK 10/94). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Feb 1;82(2):524-31. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.11.067. Epub 2011 Feb 16. PMID 21300466
• RESULTTaussky D, Rufibach K, Huguenin P, Allal AS. Risk factors for developing a second upper aerodigestive cancer after radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in patients with head-and-neck cancers: an exploratory outcomes analysis. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2005 Jul 1;62(3):684-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2004.11.027. PMID 15936546
• RESULTHuguenin P, Beer KT, Allal A, Rufibach K, Friedli C, Davis JB, Pestalozzi B, Schmid S, Thoni A, Ozsahin M, Bernier J, Topfer M, Kann R, Meier UR, Thum P, Bieri S, Notter M, Lombriser N, Glanzmann C. Concomitant cisplatin significantly improves locoregional control in advanced head and neck cancers treated with hyperfractionated radiotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2004 Dec 1;22(23):4665-73. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2004.12.193. Epub 2004 Nov 8. PMID 15534360
• RESULTGhadjar P, Simcock M, Zimmermann F, Betz M, Bodis S, Bernier J, Studer G, Aebersold DM; Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK). Predictors of severe late radiotherapy-related toxicity after hyperfractionated radiotherapy with or without concomitant cisplatin in locally advanced head and neck cancer. Secondary retrospective analysis of a randomized phase III trial (SAKK 10/94). Radiother Oncol. 2012 Aug;104(2):213-8. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2012.05.004. Epub 2012 Jun 21. PMID 22726581
• RESULTGhadjar P, Pottgen C, Joos D, Hayoz S, Baumann M, Bodis S, Budach W, Studer G, Stromberger C, Zimmermann F, Kaul D, Plasswilm L, Olze H, Bernier J, Wust P, Aebersold DM, Budach V. Haemoglobin and creatinine values as prognostic factors for outcome of concurrent radiochemotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancers : Secondary results of two European randomized phase III trials (ARO 95-06, SAKK 10/94). Strahlenther Onkol. 2016 Aug;192(8):552-60. doi: 10.1007/s00066-016-0999-3. Epub 2016 Jun 20.