Treatment of Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

The major focus of the study will involve assessment of tumor response, patient survival,
tolerance to drug, quality of life, depression, pain management and nutrition. During the
study we will begin to study the kinetics of opioid growth factor (OGF) exogenous
administration and the relationship between plasma OGF levels, stage of disease and length
of treatment. Apart from potentially having growth inhibitory action on cancer, OGF may
have some psychological and other biological effects which may prove to be beneficial in the
patient's treatment. Presently there is no effective therapy or quality of life adjuvants
for the 30,000 Americans who develop head and neck cancer yearly.