Trial Information

TPLF-4, Compressed TPLF for Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma

- Patients will be admitted to hospital and receive a one hour infusion of taxotere.
Approximately 2 hours after taxotere is finished they will receive cisplatin,
5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin continuously over a 4 day period.

- Approximately 6-12 hours after the chemotherapy ends patients will be given growth
factor support and ciprofloxacin until the patient's ANC level is greater than 10,000.

- Infusion of chemotherapy will be repeated every 28 days (1 cycle is 28 days).

- During each cycle patients will have blood tests performed weekly and may be asked to
return to the Head and Neck Clinic for examination around the middle of each cycle.

- At the end of each cycle the impact of the chemotherapy will be assessed. If after 2
cycles, the cancer has not responded sufficiently the patient will not receive any more
chemotherapy. However, if significant reduction in the size of the patients tumor is
observed, a third and final cycle will be performed.

- During the fourth or fifth week of cycle 3, patients will undergo re-staging evaluation
under anesthesia with primary-site biopsies and planning of radiotherapy.

- Within 2 weeks of completion of chemotherapy cycle 3 all patients will receive twice
daily radiotherapy.