S9908: Glutamine in Treating Mucositis Caused by Radiation Therapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Cancer of the Mouth or Throat

OBJECTIVES: * Compare the efficacy of L-glutamine vs placebo, in terms of maximum mucositis toxic effects and worst reported mouth pain during and after high-dose radiotherapy, in patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated squamous cell cancer of the oral cavity or oropharynx. * Compare the duration of severe mucositis in patients treated with these regimens. * Compare the radiotherapy delay in patients treated with these regimens. * Compare weight loss in patients treated with these regimens. * Compare the toxic effects of these two regimens in these patients. * Compare patient-reported mouth pain success rate in patients treated with these regimens. * Determine the compliance of patients treated with this drug regimen. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to concurrent cisplatin or carboplatin (yes vs no), concurrent fluorouracil (yes vs no), and presence of feeding tube (yes vs no). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Beginning 4 to 7 days prior to radiotherapy, patients receive oral L-glutamine 3 times daily for 60-80 days. Patients receive concurrent high-dose radiotherapy for approximately 6 weeks. * Arm II: Patients receive oral placebo and high-dose radiotherapy as in arm I. In both arms, treatment continues in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed for 2 weeks. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 158 patients (79 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 2.5 years.