Treatment of Childhood Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy: A Groupwide Phase III Study

This phase III trial is studying how well radiation therapy, amifostine, and chemotherapy
work in treating young patients with newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal cancer. Radiation therapy
uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs, such as amifostine, may protect normal
cells from the side effects of radiation therapy. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as
cisplatin and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either
by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving radiation therapy together
with amifostine and chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells.