View clinical trials related to Kidney Neoplasms.
Filter by:Background: - Some patients with advanced kidney cancer have immune cells that can recognize and kill their cancer, but the cells are not active enough or numerous enough to accomplish this on their own. - In recent studies of patients with advanced melanoma, some patients given special tumor-fighting cells (cells taken from the patient's tumor cells and grown in the laboratory) showed some anti-tumor response. Objectives: -To determine whether special tumor-fighting cells taken from the patient's blood or tumor and grown in the laboratory can cause tumors in patients with kidney cancer to shrink when they are given back to the patient along with interleukin-2. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age or older with advanced kidney cancer. Design: - Up to 29 patients will be treated in this study. - Patients undergo tumor biopsy to collect tumor cells for creating special tumor-fighting cells for later infusion. - Patients undergo apheresis to collect stem cells for later re-infusion. For apheresis, whole blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and circulated through a cell-separating machine where the stem cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned through the same needle or a needle in the other arm. - Before receiving the treated white cells, patients are given two drugs to suppress the immune system so the treated cells can work without interference from immune system cells. They are given cyclophosphamide over 2 days through a catheter (plastic tube inserted into a vein in the arm or neck) and fludarabine through the catheter over 15-30 minutes for the next 5 days. - The day after the last dose of fludarabine, the tumor-fighting cells are infused through a vein over 10-20 minutes. - Following the cell infusion, patients start treatment with high-dose interleukin-2 every 8 hours for a maximum of 12 doses. - Patients are evaluated with x-ray studies about 1 month after receiving the cells and interleukin 2 (IL-2) to look for tumor response to treatment. Those who show significant improvement continue to receive treatment until the treated cells are used up or the patient no longer benefits or develops unacceptable side effects.
RATIONALE: PEG-interferon alfa-2b may interfere with the growth of tumor cells. Colony-stimulating factors such as sargramostim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood. Thalidomide may stop the growth of cancer by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Combining PEG-interferon alfa-2b with sargramostim and thalidomide may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving PEG-interferon alfa-2b together with sargramostim and thalidomide works in treating patients with metastatic kidney cancer.
This study will evaluate the safety and side effects of two experimental vaccines in patients with kidney cancer and determine whether the vaccines "turn on" an immune response to the cancer. Each vaccine contains one of two peptides (pieces of proteins) from the fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF-5) antigen, a protein produced by some cancer cells, and an oil-based liquid called Incomplete Freud's Adjuvant (Montanide ISA-51) that enhances the immune response to the vaccine. Patients 16 years of age and older who have kidney cancer that has spread beyond the kidney or whose primary kidney tumor has been removed within 6 months before entering the study and are at high risk for disease recurrence may be eligible for this study. Patients must have tissue type human leukocyte antigen serotype within HLA-A A serotype group (HLA-A2) or human leukocyte antigen serotype within HLA-A A serotype group (HLA-A3) (determined by a blood test for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing) and their tumors must produce the FGF-5 peptide. Candidates are screened with a physical examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), tumor biopsy (removal of a small sample of tumor for examination) in patients whose tumor is easily accessible, and scans (computed tomography (CT), bone scans) and x-rays if current scans are not available. Participants are divided into two groups according to their HLA type (HLA-A2 or HLA-A3) to receive the vaccine appropriate for their HLA type. They are then further divided into three groups: 1) Group 1 includes patients who do not need or are ineligible for treatment with interleukin-2 (IL-2), a protein made by certain infection-fighting white cells that helps fight tumors) and patients who have previously had IL-2 therapy; 2) Group 2 includes patients who require immediate treatment with IL-2; and 3) Group 3 includes patients whose cancer has been surgically removed but who are at risk for recurrence. Patients in Groups 1 and 3 receive two peptide injections four times a week every 3 weeks for up to a year, or until their tumor grows (or returns in patients in Group 3) or the side effects are too severe to continue. Tumors are evaluated with a physical examination and scans or x-rays every 12 weeks and blood tests are done every 3 weeks. Patients in Group 2 receive two peptide injections every day for 4 days, along with doses of IL-2 starting the day after the first peptide injection. The vaccines are given as injections under the skin of the thigh. IL-2 is infused through a vein over 15 minutes every 8 hours for up to 12 doses, depending on tolerance. The vaccine and IL-2 are repeated every 10 to 14 days, with tumor evaluations every 2 months. Patients stay in the hospital about 1 week during each treatment cycle to receive the IL-2. All patients undergo leukapheresis, a procedure for collecting large numbers of white blood cells. Blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and flows through a cell separator machine, where the white cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned to the patient through the same needle or a needle in the other arm. The white cells are examined to evaluate how the vaccines change the action of immune cells. Some patients may undergo an additional biopsy of normal skin and tumor or lymph node to look at the effects of the vaccine on the immune cells in the tumor. Patients in Group 1 whose cancer grows and patients in Group C whose cancer returns may be offered IL-2 treatments as given to Group 2 patients, along with the peptide vaccine. If the disease responds to IL-2, the treatment may be repeated after 2 months.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine and irinotecan, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving gemcitabine together with irinotecan works in treating patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic kidney cancer.
This study will examine whether the drug 17AAG (17-allylamino 17-demethoxygeldanamycin) can shrink kidney tumors in patients with Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL), a rare, inherited syndrome in which patients develop tumors in certain parts of the body. 17AAG contributes to the destruction of proteins in cells that may play in role in causing cancer and spurring tumor growth. The study will also look at the effect of 17AAG on other tumors patients may have that are caused by VHL, on the amount of blood vessels in the tumors, on the biologic activity of the tumor, and on cells circulating in the bloodstream, as well as the safety of the drug and its impact on the kidney tumor in patients whose tumor(s) is removed. Patients 18 years of age and older with von Hippel-Lindau disease who have at least one kidney tumor large enough to pose a risk of metastasis (spread of cancer to other parts of the body) may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, computed tomography (CT) scan, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), see below), and blood and urine tests. Additional tests, including a 24-hour urine collection, ultrasound of the testicles in men, hearing test, eye exam, and MRI of the spine, may be done if recent test results are not available. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: MRI: This test uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to show structural and chemical changes in tissue. During the scan, the patient lies on a table in a narrow cylinder containing a magnetic field, wearing earplugs to muffle loud noises that occur with electrical switching of the magnetic fields. A catheter (plastic tube) is inserted into the patient's arm to administer a contrast dye that enhances the images. 17AAG treatment: Patients receive 17AAG infusions into a vein once a week for 3 weeks out of every 4, for 3 months. The infusions last up to 1 to 2 hours. Repeat testing: After 3 months, patients have repeat MRI scans to measure changes in tumor activity, blood flow, and number of blood vessels in the tumor since the pretreatment scans. They may have additional tests, including a CT scan, eye exam, and other tests to evaluate the effect of 17AAG on the tumors.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as FR901228 (depsipeptide), work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well FR901228 works in treating patients with advanced cancer of the urothelium that has progressed or recurred after receiving one chemotherapy regimen.
RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. It is not yet known whether monoclonal antibody therapy is effective in treating kidney cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying monoclonal antibody therapy to see how well it works in treating patients who have undergone surgery for nonmetastatic primary kidney cancer.
RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a patient's dendritic cells and tumor cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's lymphocytes to kill kidney cancer cells. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 and interferon alfa may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving vaccine therapy together with interleukin-2 and interferon alfa works in treating patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer).
RATIONALE: Denileukin diftitox may be able to make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well denileukin diftitox works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma or metastatic kidney cancer.
RATIONALE: Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well high-dose intravenous interleukin-2 works in treating patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma that has not responded to previous low-dose intravenous or subcutaneous interleukin-2.