Biomarkers in Patients With Metastatic or Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer Treated With Cisplatin and Cetuximab on ECOG-E5397

PTEN Determination in Squamous Cell Cancer of The Head and Neck Treated on E5397, A Randomized Phase III Trial of Cisplatin Plus Placebo Versus Cisplatin Plus C225 (Cetuximab) in Metastatic/Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer

RATIONALE: Studying samples of tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors predict how well patients will respond to treatment.

PURPOSE: This research study is studying biomarkers in patients with metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer treated with cisplatin and cetuximab on ECOG-E5397.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Compare cetuximab activity, as reflected in response rate (RR), in PTEN-deficient and PTEN-expressing cancers.

Secondary

• Examine RR, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) in PTEN-deficient and PTEN-expressing cancers, by treatment arm.

OUTLINE: Tissue microarray slides collected earlier from ECOG-E5397 are immunostained with PTEN antibody and analyzed with AQUA.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Treated on protocol ECOG-E5397

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics