Neoplasms

All Conditions

Mouth and Tooth Diseases

Ear, Nose, and Throat Diseases

Carcinoma

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

Head and Neck Neoplasms

Oropharyngeal Neoplasms

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial

Neoplasms by Histologic Type

Neoplasms, Squamous Cell

Pharyngeal Neoplasms

Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms

Pharyngeal Diseases

Stomatognathic Diseases

Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases

Antineoplastic Agents

All Drugs and Chemicals

Paclitaxel

Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel

Carboplatin

Tubulin Modulators

Antimitotic Agents

Participants who have low-risk cancer and significant reduction (greater than 50%) in tumor size following induction therapy will be assigned to this group.

Participants who have low-risk cancer and intermediate reduction (30-50%) in tumor size or high-risk cancer with significant reduction (greater than or equal to 50%) in tumor size following induction therapy will be assigned to this group.

Participants who have high-risk cancer and less than a 50% reduction in their tumor size following induction therapy will be assigned to this group.

All study participants will be assigned to this group to first receive induction therapy using a combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel. Participant response to this phase of therapy will determine which group (low-risk, intermediate risk or high-risk) the participant will be in.

Participants assigned to this group will receive transoral robotic surgery (TORs) or radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is given once a day for 5 weeks. A percentage of subjects who undergo surgery may need further radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy based on the results of the surgery. TORs is surgery in which a robot with arms is used to remove cancer from hard-to-reach areas of the mouth and throat.

Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) or Radiotherapy

Participants assigned to this group will receive 5 weeks of chemotherapy combined with low- dose radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy and Low-Dose Radiotherapy

Participants assigned to this group will receive 7 weeks of chemotherapy combined with high- dose radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy and High-Dose Radiotherapy

This drug will be combined with carboplatin during induction therapy for 9 weeks.

This drug will be combined with paclitaxel during induction therapy for 9 weeks.

Ari Rosenberg

Doctors leading this study will give blood tests to head and neck cancer participants during the beginning of chemotherapy treatment (also known as induction therapy) to see if these blood tests can help predict tumor shrinkage after therapy and reduce the amount of additional radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment the participant may need. This study will also examine ways to reduce overall side effects of treatment using robotic surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or radiotherapy alone.

Pilot Study of Chemotherapy for HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer

Pilot Study of Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Risk and Response-Stratified Treatment for Locoregional HPV Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer

To determine if it is possible (feasibility) to measure HPV-DNA using blood tests among participants undergoing induction chemotherapy followed by a second round of response-based therapy for their HPV-associated cancer. This feasibility will be determined by measuring the proportion of patients who complete chemotherapy treatment and HPV-DNA assessments.

To evaluate the relationship (aka correlation) between the amount of HPV-DNA found in a participant's plasma/blood and the participant's response to induction chemotherapy based on how their tumor responds to treatment.

To evaluate changes in blood containing HPV-DNA during a second round of chemotherapy (known as response-based chemo-radiotherapy) that will be based on how the participant responded to their first/induction phase of chemotherapy treatment. This outcome will be measured by checking quantitative HPV DNA in plasma with each cycle of induction chemotherapy, weekly during radiation treatment, and following completion of radiation at set time points within the study.

To evaluate the side effects of weekly cisplatin-based treatment in participants receiving chemotherapy followed by a second round of response-based therapy for their HPV-associated cancer.

To determine how participant's tumor/cancer responds when they are undergoing Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) following induction chemotherapy. TORs is surgery in which a robot with arms is used to remove cancer from hard-to-reach areas of the mouth and throat. Data about how patients' tumors respond in this study will be compared to similar data from a previous study.

Length of time participants remain without evidence of disease.

Number of participants who experience local control of their primary tumors after treatment.

Number of participants who experience control of metastatic disease (distant tumors) after treatment.

Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for transoral robotic surgery (tors) or radiotherapy