Chemotherapy With Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx or hypopharynx * Recurrent disease, incurable disease as determined by surgery or radiation, or metastatic disease * Measurable or evaluable disease * Age \> 18 years and \<= 70 years * WHO performance status 0 or 1 * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm3 * Platelets \> 150,000/mm3 * Total Bilirubin \<= institutional upper limit of normal * Aspartate aminotransferase \< 1.5 X institutional upper limit of normal * Alanine aminotransferase \< 1.5 X institutional upper limit of normal * Alkaline phosphatase \< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal * creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min * Signed informed consent * Women of child-bearing potential and men must be willing and able practice adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study treatment Exclusion Criteria: * Previous chemotherapy. Chemotherapy given as part of initial curative therapy and completed more than 6 months before inclusion is allowed * Previous treatment with total doses of cisplatin \> 300 mg/ m2 * Patients must not have any co-existing disease that would preclude cisplatin administration, such as peripheral neuropathy or renal failure * Surgery (excluding biopsy) or radiotherapy within 4 weeks prior to study entry * Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or cancer of sinusal cavities * Active infection including tuberculosis or HIV positive patient * Other malignancy within last 5 years except for non-melanoma skin cancer * No other investigational agent within 30 days prior to study entry * No other concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, antitumor hormonal therapy (excluding contraceptives and replacement steroids), radiotherapy, or experimental medications * No prior anti EGFR therapy * No known brain metastases * Uncontrolled intercurrent illness that would prevent delivery of protocol therapy * Patients with a prior history of basal cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ carcinoma of the cervix must have been curatively treated and must have remained disease free for 5 years post diagnosis * No history of hypersensitivity reaction to drugs on study * No unstable angina or myocardial infarction within the past 12 months * No symptomatic congestive heart failure or New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV heart disease * No serious uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia * No other prior or concomitant squamous cell carcinoma * No other prior or concomitant cancer, except curatively treated basal carcinoma of the skin or in situ cervical cancer, for which the patient has been curatively treated and remains disease-free for the past 5 years * Patient is pregnant or lactating * Patients must not have any co-existing condition that would preclude full compliance with the study