RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy following surgery in treating patients who have recurrent or second primary cancer of the head and neck following previous radiation therapy.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the survival and local control in previously irradiated patients at high risk for local failure following regional resection of recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer.
• Determine the acute and late toxicities of this treatment in these patients.
• Determine the pattern of disease failure in these patients on this treatment.
• Determine any change in quality of life in these patients on this treatment.

OUTLINE: Patients receive fractionated doses of radiotherapy five times weekly for 6 weeks.

Quality of life is assessed prior to study, 2 months after radiotherapy, every 3 months for remainder of year 1, every 4 months for years 2-3, every 6 months for years 4-5, and then annually thereafter.

Patients are followed 2 months after radiotherapy, every 3 months for year 1, every 4 months for year 2, every 6 months for years 3-5, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 30 patients will be accrued for this study within 5 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the mucosa, recurrent (primary and/or nodal), or a second primary (positive or negative nodal), of one of the following:

  • Oral cavity
  • Oropharynx
  • Hypopharynx
  • Larynx
  • Paranasal sinus
  • Neck disease of unknown origin

• No distant metastases

• No primary in the nasopharynx

• Must have complete gross resection of disease

• Must have positive final margins, soft tissue extension of primary, positive extracapsular extension of lymph node disease, or at least 4 positive nodes without extracapsular extension

• Reirradiation field must overlap the previous field for a minimum of 3 cm in height, width, and length

  • At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy with an overlap volume of at least 45 Gy

• No grade 3 or 4 toxicity for the following organ tissues:

  • RTOG grade 3 or 4 skin, subcutaneous tissue, larynx, joint, or RTOG grade 4 mucous membrane or bone from prior radiotherapy

• Radiotherapy must begin within 6-12 weeks of surgery

• Prior radiotherapy records must be available

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• Not pregnant
• No history of invasive malignancy that would be expected to cause death within 3 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics