Radiation Therapy With or Without Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Stage III-IVA Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Who Have Undergone Surgery

🩺 Protocol Summary

This phase II trial studies how well radiation therapy with or without cisplatin works in treating patients with stage III-IVA squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who have undergone surgery. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known if radiation therapy is more effective with or without cisplatin in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Primary Research Facility: University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center (Birmingham, Alabama)

Review these 3 basic logistical and protocol criteria extracted from the public NIH record. (This is a preliminary logistical checklist, not an official clinical eligibility determination).

📍 Primary Site Map

Site: University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Center — Birmingham, Alabama

This protocol is enrolling participants across multiple clinical centers:

💰 Clinical Trial Costs & Insurance Coverage

Coverage for clinical trial participation varies depending on your health insurance policy, state legislation, and whether specific procedures are investigational research or routine medical care. Under federal law (Affordable Care Act § 2709), health insurers generally cannot drop coverage or refuse to pay for routine patient care costs incurred in approved clinical trials.

💡 Always ask the study coordinator for the trial's official Informed Consent Form, which outlines all sponsor-funded research items versus procedures billed to your insurance.