Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy (RT) With or Without Vandetanib in Treating Patients With High-Risk Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, including any of the following subtypes:

* Oral cavity

* Oropharynx

* Larynx

* Hypopharynx

Stage III or IV disease (no distant metastases)

No cancer of the lip, nasopharynx, or sinuses

Must have undergone gross total resection\* (with curative intent) within 3-6 weeks of registration, with pathology demonstrating 1 or more of the following risk factors:

* Histologic extracapsular nodal extension

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Zubrod performance status 0-1

ANC (absolute neutrophil count) ≥ 2,000/mm³

Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (transfusion or other intervention to achieve this level allowed)

Total bilirubin normal

AST (aspartate aminotransferase) or ALT (alanine amino transferase) ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Glucose ≥ 40 mg/dL AND ≤ 250 mg/dL

Sodium ≥ 130 mmol/L AND ≤ 155 mmol/L

Magnesium ≥ 0.9 mg/dL AND ≤ 3 mg/dL (supplementation allowed)

Potassium ≥ 4 mmol/L AND ≤ 6 mmol/L (supplementation allowed)

Serum calcium (ionized or adjusted for albumin) ≥ 7 mg/dL AND ≤ 12.5 mg/dL (supplementation allowed)

QTc (corrected QT interval) interval ≥ 480 msec must have 2 additional EKGs ≥ 24 hrs apart and the average QTc from the 3 screening EKGs must be \< 480 msec

Not pregnant or nursing

Negative pregnancy test

Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 60 days after completion of study treatment

May not donate blood during the study or for 3 months after last dose of vandetanib

* Hypertension (systolic blood pressure \[BP\] \> 160 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg) not controlled by medical therapy

* Diarrhea ≥ grade 1 (increase of \< 4 stools per day over baseline or mild increase in ostomy output compared to baseline)

* Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring intravenous antibiotics at the time of registration

* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within the past 30 days

* Hepatic insufficiency resulting in clinical jaundice and/or coagulation defects

* Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) based upon current CDC (Center for Disease Control) definition (no HIV testing is required for study entry)

Prior allergic reaction to cisplatin or vandetanib or derivatives similar to these drugs

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics

No prior systemic chemotherapy for this disease (prior chemotherapy for a different cancer allowed)

No prior radiotherapy to the head and neck area that would result in overlap of radiotherapy fields

More than 30 days since prior investigational agents

More than 3 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered

More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent medications that induce Torsades de Pointes

More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent known potent inducers of CYP3A4 (Cytochrome P450 3A4), including rifampicin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, barbiturates, and Hypericum perforatum (St. John wort)

No concurrent medication that may cause QTc prolongation

What this study is about