Cisplatin Treatment Options in Iowa

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. It is not yet known whether surgery is more effective with or without chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer of the esophagus. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of surgery with or without combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients who have cancer of the esophagus that can be surgically removed. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Chemoprotective drugs, such as dimesna, may help prevent or decrease the side effects (such as nerve, kidney, and inner ear damage) caused by chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying giving docetaxel and cisplatin together with dimesna to see how well it works compared to giving docetaxel and cisplatin alone in treating patients with stage IIIB or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy is more effective than combination chemotherapy in treating patients with cancer of the uterus. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying radiation therapy to see how well it works compared to combination chemotherapy in treating patients with cancer of the uterus. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Colony-stimulating factors such as filgrastim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help a person's immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and filgrastim combined with radiation therapy in treating patients who have locally recurrent head and neck cancer and have received previous treatment with radiation therapy. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as cisplatin and paclitaxel use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Cisplatin and paclitaxel may make the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy and may kill any tumor cells remaining after surgery. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to study the effectiveness of cisplatin, paclitaxel, and radiation therapy with or without fluorouracil in treating patients who have stage IB, stage IIB, or stage IIIB stomach cancer that has been removed during surgery. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy following surgery may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have undergone surgery for stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known if chemotherapy plus radiation therapy is more effective with or without surgery for lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combining cisplatin, etoposide, and radiation therapy with or without surgery in treating patients who have stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effect on the body when combining irinotecan and cisplatin with radiation therapy in treating patients who have limited-stage small cell lung cancer that could not be completely removed during surgery. Read Less

RATIONALE: Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. It is not yet known whether interferon alfa is more effective with or without combination chemotherapy and interleukin-2 for melanoma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of interferon alfa with or without combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine, plus interleukin-2, in treating patients who have melanoma. Read Less

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best way to give radiation therapy when given together with topotecan and cisplatin in treating patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. This trial is also studying the best dose of topotecan when given in this regimen. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as topotecan and cisplatin, use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. Read Less

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of cetuximab when given together with cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients with stage IB, stage II, stage III, or stage IVA cervical cancer. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays and other types of radiation to kill tumor cells. Internal radiation therapy uses radioactive material placed directly into or near a tumor to kill tumor cells. Giving cetuximab together with cisplatin and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. Read Less

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of cisplatin given together with paclitaxel in treating patients with stage IIB, stage IIC, stage III, or stage IV ovarian epithelial cancer, fallopian tube cancer, or primary peritoneal cavity cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) and giving them in different ways may kill more tumor cells. Read Less