Cisplatin With or Without Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies can locate cancer cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. It is not yet known whether cisplatin plus monoclonal antibody therapy is more effective than cisplatin alone for metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized double-blinded phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of cisplatin with or without monoclonal antibody in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the efficacy (survival and response rates) and toxicity of cisplatin with or without monoclonal antibody C225 in patients with metastatic and/or recurrent squamous cell head and neck cancer. II. Compare the correlation between epidermal growth factor receptor density and response and progression-free survival in these patients. III. Determine the steady state serum levels of monoclonal antibody C225 and the frequency of human antibody response to this monoclonal antibody in patients treated with the combination therapy. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients are stratified according to disease status (newly diagnosed vs recurrent) and ECOG status (0 vs 1). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. Arm I: Patients receive monoclonal antibody C225 IV over 2 hours followed 1 hour later by cisplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1 of course 1. Monoclonal antibody C225 is administered over 1 hour on subsequent courses. Arm II: Patients receive placebo IV over 2 hours followed 1 hour later by cisplatin as in arm I on day 1 of course 1. Placebo is administered over 1 hour on subsequent courses. Treatment continues every 4 weeks for at least 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Arm II patients who develop disease progression may then crossover to arm I treatment. Patients are followed at 1 and 3 months and then every 3 months until disease progression. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 114 patients will be accrued for this study within 14 months.