RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as sargramostim may protect normal cells from the side effects of radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to determine the effectiveness of sargramostim in preventing mucositis in patients who are receiving radiation therapy for laryngeal cancer.
OBJECTIVES: * Determine the efficacy of sargramostim (GM-CSF) in reducing the duration and severity of mucositis resulting from accelerated radiotherapy in patients with laryngeal carcinoma. * Determine the effect of GM-CSF on quality of life aspects of these patients as assessed by nutritional status, analgesic use, and days in the hospital. OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients receive radiotherapy in 16 fractions over 21 days. Patients are randomly allocated to one of two treatment arms before scheduled radiotherapy begins. * Arm I: Patients receive sargramostim (GM-CSF) SC daily for 14 days beginning on day 14 of the course of radiotherapy. * Arm II: Patients do not receive GM-CSF. Patients are followed weekly until mucositis is healed, as well as at weeks 2 and 6 following the end of radiotherapy. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 34 patients (17 per arm) will be accrued for this study.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Royal Marsden NHS Trust
London, England, United Kingdom
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