Bevacizumab, Docetaxel, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
• •* Stage III or IV disease
• •* No evidence of distant metastases
• •* No salivary gland or paranasal sinus squamous cell carcinoma
• •No disease with close proximity to a major vessel
• •Measurable disease
• •No known CNS or brain metastases
• •* Patients with intracranial extension without cerebral involvement may be eligible
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •ECOG performance status 0-1
• •Life expectancy \> 12 weeks
• •Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
• •Bilirubin normal
• •AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal
• •PT normal
• •Creatinine normal OR
• •Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• •Urine protein: creatinine ratio \< 1.0
• •No bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to study drugs
• •No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• •No ongoing or active infection
• •No serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• •No New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
• •No significant arrhythmias requiring medication
• •No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• •No stroke within the past 6 months
• •No symptomatic coronary artery disease
• •No second- or third-degree heart block or bundle branch block
• •No unstable angina pectoris
• •No hypertension (i.e., blood pressure ≥ 150/100 mm Hg)
• •No other clinically significant heart disease
• •No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
• •No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• •No HIV positivity
• •No other malignancy within the past 5 years except squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •No other uncontrolled illness
• •No poorly compliant patients
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• •No prior investigational anticancer agents
• •More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• •More than 1 week since prior minor surgery, fine-needle aspiration, or core needle biopsy
• •No concurrent major surgery except planned neck dissection
• •No concurrent routine colony-stimulating factor therapy
• •No other concurrent investigational agents
• •No other concurrent anticancer therapy