Induction Chemo Then Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy With Cetuximab in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

This is an open label, single arm Phase II study of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) using monoclonal antibody cetuximab. Those patients with locally advanced HNSCC deemed to be candidates for definitive concurrent chemo-radiotherapy will be treated initially with 6 weeks of PCC (Paclitaxel, cetuximab and Carboplatin). This will be followed by a week of no treatment for interim evaluation, followed by definitive concurrent chemo-radiotherapy using 70Gy radiation with weekly cetuximab and cisplatin for 7 weeks. The hypothesis of the study is that the use of cetuximab during induction chemotherapy followed by cetuximab concurrent with chemoradiotherapy using low dose weekly cisplatin will improve local control as well as distant spread.