SU5416 and Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Recurrent, Locally Advanced or Metastatic Cancer of the Head and Neck

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Metastatic or loco-regionally recurrent malignancy of the head and neck (including salivary gland and thyroid) that is incurable by surgery or radiotherapy
• At least two distinct tumor masses OR
• One tumor mass at least 3 cm in diameter
• No brain metastases
• No pulmonary metastases as only site of disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• At least 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,500/mm3
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• Hemoglobin greater than 9.0 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• PT and PTT normal OR
• INR ratio less than 1.1
• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT less than 2 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• No uncompensated coronary artery disease
• No history of myocardial infarction or severe or unstable angina within the past 6 months
• No severe peripheral vascular disease
• No deep venous thrombosis or arterial thrombosis within the past 6 months
• No known hypercoagulable syndrome with predisposition to venous or arterial clots
• Pulmonary:
• No pulmonary embolism within the past 6 months
• Other:
• No prior cerebral hemorrhage
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since palliative chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas) and recovered
• At least 4 weeks since combined chemoradiotherapy and recovered
• Must be recovered from prior taxanes
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior large field radiotherapy and recovered
• Surgery:
• Not specified