Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer NRG HN009

Comparing High-Dose Cisplatin Every Three Weeks to Low-Dose Cisplatin Weekly When Combined With Radiation for Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.

This phase II/III trial compares whether cisplatin given weekly with radiation therapy is better tolerated than cisplatin given every three weeks with radiation therapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). The second part of this study will also help to find out if the cisplatin given weekly approach will extend patients' life by at least the same amount of time as the cisplatin given every three weeks approach. Cisplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds that work by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Radiation with low-dose cisplatin given weekly may be effective in shrinking or stabilizing head and neck cancer or preventing its recurrence.