Chemotherapy AND Bcl-xL Inhibitor (AT-101) For Organ Preservation In Adults With Advanced Laryngeal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have pathologically confirmed, previously untreated, resectable,squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx or hypopharynx.
• Disease must be Stage III or IV
• Tumor must be potentially surgically resectable and curable with conventional surgeryand radiation therapy
• Patients must undergo pre-treatment endoscopic tumor staging and CT scanning
• ECOG Performance status 0-1
• Adequate WBC (white blood cell), granulocyte and platelet counts
• Creatinine clearance of ≥ 60cc/min for cisplatin candidates and ≥ 30 cc/min forcarboplatin candidates
• Adequate bilirubin, AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and ALT (alanine transaminase)function

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior head and neck malignancy or history of other prior non-head and neck malignancywithin the past 3 years
• Prior head and neck radiation or prior chemotherapy.
• Documented evidence of distant metastases
• Active infection
• Pregnancy or lactation
• Any medical or psychiatric illness which in the opinion of the principal investigatorwould compromise the patient's ability to tolerate this treatment
• Patients residing in prison
• Patients with psychiatric/ social situations that would limit compliance with studyrequirements
• Patients with Grade > 2 peripheral neuropathy
• History of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel
• Class 3 or 4 cardiac disease
• Unstable angina or history of myocardial ischemia within prior 6 months
• Malabsorption syndrome, disease significantly affecting gastrointestinal function, orresection of the stomach or small bowel, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory boweldisease, partial or complete small bowel obstruction
• Prior use of gossypol or AT-101, or known hypersensitivity to gossypol or AT-101
• Patients taking any other concurrent approved or investigational anti-cancer therapy