Primary Outcome Measures:
- The maximum tolerated dose of ABI-007 with Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil (APF) [ Time Frame: two years ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- safety and tolerability profiles for ABI-007 [ Time Frame: two years ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
Intervention Details:
Drug: ABI-007
Dose escalation beginning with ABI-007 75 mg/m2 day 1 + day 8, Cisplatin 100 mg/m2 day 1, 5-FU 1000 mg/m2/d continuous infusion x 96 hours on day 1-4, for 3 weeks x 3 cycles. Followed by Concurrent weekly Carboplatin (AUC 1.5) with radiotherapy for 7 weeks. Carboplatin should be given on Monday or Tuesday of each week, if possible.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is the 9th most common malignancy diagnosed in Canadians. In the year 2007, there was an estimated 4,350 new cases diagnosed in Canada, with approximately 1,600 deaths attributable to HNSCC[Canadian Cancer Statistics 2007]. In the United States there is an annual incidence of approximately 40,000 newly diagnosed cases of head and neck cancer [US Cancer Statistics 2006]. Primary treatment for newly diagnosed localized (stage I-II) HNSCC is surgery and/or radiotherapy. The majority of patients (70%) however present with locally advanced HNSCC (Stage III or IV). Treatment of locally advanced HNSCC generally consists of either concurrent chemotherapy and radiation or surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiation or adjuvant concurrent chemotherapy and radiation. Unfortunately despite aggressive treatment with combined modality therapies approximately 40-50% of cases recur, with the majority recurring at the primary site and/or regional nodes. Except for a small minority of patients in whom salvage surgery or radiotherapy can be delivered, the prognosis for the majority of these patients is poor and further treatment is generally considered palliative.