Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy and Paclitaxel With or Without Pazopanib Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of anaplastic thyroid cancer (a diagnosis that is noted to be "consistent with anaplastic thyroid cancer" with the presence of a thyroid mass is acceptable)
• Note: Tissue collection for central review is mandatory, but central review is not required for eligibility; due to the aggressiveness of this disease, treatment will be started prior to central review
• If there was a total or partial thyroidectomy completed within 3 months of enrollment, the surgical specimen must show the area of anaplastic thyroid cancer to be at least 1 cm in greatest dimension
• The following minimum diagnostic workup is required:
• History/physical examination within 2 weeks prior to registration
• Imaging of neck and brain (computed tomography [CT] scan or magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and chest/abdominal imaging (chest x-ray or chest CT scan, or full body positron emission tomography [PET]/CT are acceptable) within 4 weeks prior to registration
• Note: The CT scan of the neck must be done with contrast or if an MRI is done, with gadolinium; therefore, the CT portion of a full body PET/CT has to be a high resolution CT to be acceptable for eligibility
• Abdominal imaging must cover the liver and adrenal glands; therefore, separate imaging is not required if these areas are covered by a chest CT scan
• Electrocardiogram within 10 days prior to registration
• Zubrod performance status 0-2
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 1, 500 cells/mm^3 (within 10 days prior to registration on study)
• Platelets >= 100, 000 cells/mm^3 (within 10 days prior to registration on study)
• Hemoglobin (Hgb) >= 9.0 g/dl (within 10 days prior to registration on study) (Note: the use of transfusion or other intervention to achieve Hgb >= 9.0 g/dL is acceptable)
• Total bilirubin ULN and AST/ALT > ULN are not eligible (unless they have Gilbert's syndrome and elevations of indirect bilirubin)
• Spot urine protein to creatinine ratio (UPCR) 50 mL/min/1.73 m^2 per either the Cockcroft-Gault equation, Jeliffe method, or 12- or 24-hour urine collection
• Serum electrolytes including sodium, potassium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, glucose, magnesium, phosphate, and calcium within 10 days prior to registration
• Documentation of the patient's history of corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation, family history of prolonged QTc, and relevant cardiac disease within 10 days prior to registration
• Evaluation of the patient's medications within 10 days prior to registration with attempt to change any medication that affects cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A, polypeptide 4 (CYP3A4)
• Blood pressure = 140 and/or diastolic blood pressure is > 90 at the time of registration, the patient's blood pressure must be controlled; systolic blood pressure must be 4 weeks previously
• Patients receiving other investigational agents
• Prior radiotherapy to the region of the study cancer that would result in overlap of radiation therapy fields
• Patients with any of the following cardiovascular conditions within the past 6 months:
• Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Admission for unstable angina
• Myocardial Infarction
• Cardiac angioplasty or stenting
• Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
• Pulmonary embolism, untreated deep venous thrombosis (DVT), or DVT which has been treated with therapeutic anticoagulation for less than 6 weeks
• Arterial thrombosis
• Symptomatic peripheral vascular disease
• Class III or IV heart failure as defined by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system; Note: a patient who has a history of class III heart failure and is asymptomatic on treatment may be considered eligible for the study
• Certain medications that are associated with a risk for QTc prolongation and/or torsades de pointes, although not prohibited, should be avoided or replaced with medications that do not carry these risks, if possib