Perifosine in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell cancer of the head and neck
• •* Metastatic or recurrent disease
• •* Not amenable to surgery or radiotherapy
• •Unidimensionally measurable disease
• •* At least 1 lesion at least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by CT scan
• •No known brain metastases
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •ECOG 0-2 OR
• •Karnofsky 60-100%
• •Life expectancy
• •More than 3 months
• •Hematopoietic
• •WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic
• •Bilirubin normal
• •AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• •Renal
• •Creatinine normal OR
• •Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• •Cardiovascular
• •No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• •No unstable angina pectoris
• •No cardiac arrhythmia
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to perifosine
• •No ongoing or active infection
• •No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• •No psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •No more than 1 prior biologic/targeted regimen for recurrent or metastatic disease
• •Chemotherapy
• •No more than 1 prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimen
• •No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for recurrent or metastatic disease
• •At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• •Radiotherapy
• •At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• •Other
• •Recovered from prior therapy
• •No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• •No other concurrent investigational agents
• •No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies