EVALUATION OF AMIFOSTINE FOR MUCOSAL AND HEMOPOETIC PROTECTION AND CARBOPLATIN, TAXOL, RADIOTHERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER.(GCC 0202)

Patients presenting with locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck (SCCHN) continue to represent a significant therapeutic challenge. The bulk of tumor burden often proves to be overwhelming for conventional radiotherapy. Attempts to improve upon these poor outcomes have led investigators to explore several new strategies, one such being chemoradiation. One of the trials conducted at the University of Maryland with carboplatin and paclitaxel with daily radiation showed 82% CR at the primary site. But the most commonly encountered grade 3 toxicities were mucositis (70%), leukopenia (30%) and 3% grade 4 leukopenia. Amifostine: An organic thiophosphate is radioprotective and has shown to protect experimental animals from lethal doses of radiation. Clinical trials have demonstrated that amifostine can provide protection against the hematological toxicities and mucositis seen with various chemotherapeutic agents. Theoretically, drug interactions between amifostine and chemotherapeutic agents are not likely to occur, due to amifostine¿s rapid clearance from plasma (90% of the drug is cleared within 6 minutes). A promising venue would be the investigation of amifostine¿s role in reducing the toxicities associated with chemoradiation (which is standard of care of treating squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck). Principal objectives of the study: Primary: To evaluate whether the addition of the radioprotector amifostine can reduce the incidence and severity of mucositis and hematological toxicities caused by chemoradiation. Secondary: 1.To determine the toxicities of amifostine given in this setting. 2. To determine the response rate of this regimen in the population.