Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Erlotinib Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

This randomized phase II trial studies how well combination chemotherapy with or without erlotinib hydrochloride works in treating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that has spread to other parts of the body or has come back. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, cisplatin, and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Erlotinib hydrochloride may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving combination chemotherapy with or without erlotinib hydrochloride may be an effective treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.