Radiation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer of the Larynx

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare, in a phase III setting, overall and disease-free survival with preservation of laryngeal function in patients with stage III/IV squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic and supraglottic larynx treated with cisplatin/fluorouracil (CDDP/5-FU) followed by radiotherapy vs. concomitant radiotherapy plus CDDP vs. radiotherapy alone. II. Compare the tumor response after completion of chemotherapy but prior to initiation of radiotherapy with that following completion of radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy. III. Compare the patterns of relapse (local and regional recurrence and distant metastasis) with these treatments. IV. Compare the incidence of second primary tumors in patients treated on these three regimens. V. Compare the acute and chronic adverse effects of these three regimens. VI. Compare the morbidity experienced with neck dissection and/or laryngeal salvage surgery following treatment with these regimens. VII. Compare quality of life of patients with laryngeal preservation vs. patients requiring salvage laryngectomies. VIII. Compare the quality of life of patients receiving radiotherapy alone vs. those receiving chemotherapy as well. OUTLINE: Randomized study. Patients on any arm, clinically staged N+ undergo neck dissection following completion of radiotherapy. Arm I: 2-Drug Combination Chemotherapy followed by Radiotherapy. Cisplatin, CDDP, NSC-119875; Fluorouracil, 5-FU, NSC-19893; followed by regional irradiation using linear accelerators with photon energies of 1.25-6 MV, electron energies of 8-17 MeV, or Co60. Arm II: Radiotherapy plus Single-Agent Chemotherapy/Radiosensitization. Regional irradiation using equipment as in Arm I; plus CDDP. Arm III: Radiotherapy. Regional irradiation using equipment as in Arm I. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: 546 patients (182/arm) will be entered over approximately 3 years. If any arm is clearly inferior in laryngectomy-free survival after 137 patients have completed 2 years of follow-up study, that arm will be closed to further accrual. A second interim analysis will be conducted after 410 patients have completed 2 years of follow-up.