View clinical trials related to Esophageal Cancer.
Filter by:Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a combination of a drug, porfimer sodium, and a light from a non heated laser. The activation of the drug is done by illuminating abnormal areas using a fiber optic device. The fiber optic device is a very fine fiber (like fishing line) that permits transmission of light. By itself, porfimer sodium is inactive. However it becomes active when it is put in the presence of a light source such as sunlight, very intense indoor light, or laser. Therefore, the main risk with this therapy is that the skin will be more sensitive to light, and this sensibility can last up to 90 days. The skin reaction is similar to sunburn and is called phototoxicity. To date, no product on the market has shown protection against visible light, and therefore, no product has been demonstrated to protect against the skin phototoxicity to visible light. A sunscreen sold under the brand name Solar Protection Formula® SPF 60 in the United States contains ingredients that provide maximum ultraviolet (UV) protection, as well as a formulation that could provide visible light protection. The product could potentially prevent the skin phototoxicity due to visible light, the most frequently reported side effect in patients receiving PDT with porfimer sodium. Therefore, this study is designed to assess the efficacy of topical application of Solar Protection Formula® SPF 60 as skin protector against visible light-induced skin redness and swelling following injection of porfimer sodium. It will involve 17 to 20 human subjects in the United States for whom PDT with porfimer sodium is planned for the treatment of high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus (pre-cancerous change in the food pipe tissue), lung cancer, or cancer of the esophagus (food pipe).
Three main adverse reactions, namely photosensitivity (reaction that is similar to sunburn), oesophageal stenosis (narrowing or closure of the food pipe), perforation of the treated area (a tear or puncture of the tissue), have been identified in research studies evaluating photodynamic therapy (PDT) with porfimer sodium. Because of the low incidence of the disease or the variation in the occurrence of these adverse reactions among different indications, it is difficult to determine the occurrence and frequency of these safety issues in routine clinical practice. This post-marketing safety surveillance registry is set-up to evaluate the safety of PDT using porfimer sodium. A registry allows the collection of data to evaluate real-world results in the practice of medicine. The registry will monitor the patient's health and any events, with a main focus on photosensitivity, oesophageal stenosis, and perforation of the treated area. This registry will involve 500 patients, across 20 to 36 hospitals in the US and Europe, scheduled to receive an injection of porfimer sodium with PDT for the treatment of lung cancer, esophageal [food pipe] cancer, or high-grade dysplasia (HGD) (precancerous change in the food pipe tissue) in Barrett's esophagus.
RATIONALE: Placing a stent in the esophagus may lessen swallowing difficulties and improve quality of life in patients with malignant dysphagia caused by esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying self-expanding plastic stents to see how well they work compared with self-expanding metal stents in treating patients with malignant dysphagia caused by esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer.
RATIONALE: Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. This may be an effective treatment for gastrointestinal cancer. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients who have gastrointestinal cancer.