View clinical trials related to Melanoma.
Filter by:During the course of a case-control study of melanoma conducted at the Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, Italy in the years 1994-1996, 20 families with 2 or 3 melanoma cases were identified and studied. The area where the study was conducted showed the steepest increase in melanoma incidence in Mediterranean populations between the years 1987 and 1997. Clinical characteristics of melanoma in the families studied were similar to those typically described in fair-skinned populations, but no relevant mutations in the coding regions of known candidate genes from melanoma have been found. Lack of findings could be due to the modest number of families and the small number of affected CMM cases examined. We cannot exclude the possibility of alterations in introns, splicing sites or promoter regions. Also epigenetic factors could affect the expression of the gene products we studied. Alternatively, germline alterations of a gene(s) other than the candidate genes we analyzed may play an important role in melanoma predisposition in this population. A large number of families is needed to test these hypotheses. These additional families could provide an important contribution to the understanding o melanoma development. In fact, this population does not generally have the host characteristics that are usually associated with higher risk for melanoma (e.g., light skin color, red hair, blue eyes, multiple freckles, tendency to sunburn, etc.) but do have a relative high frequency of dysplastic nevi and melanoma. The main objective of this study is to recruit more families at the Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, Italy in order to reach a larger sample size. Recently, 16 potential melanoma-prone families have been identified through patient's or physicians' referrals by the Dermatologists at the Bufalini Hospital. The dermatologists have maintained close relationships with members of these families and are confident that these subjects would be willing to participate in a study if contacted. The first goal of our study is to contact this family group and verify their willingness to participate in the study. In addition, new families could be identified and recruited. We propose to conduct a pilot project. We estimate recruitment of approximately 25 families with 2 or more melanoma cases in first -degree relatives over a one-year period, including the 16 families already identified and approximately 10 new kindreds. At the end of the pilot phase we will determine the feasibility of continuing recruitment.
The primary purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of AZD6244 (ARRY-142886) with temozolomide in patients with advanced melanoma
This trial is conducted in Oceania. A phase 2a study to assess the effect on tumor size. At least 14 to a maximum of 40 patients, who have not previously received treatment for their stage IV disease, will be treated for 6 weeks. IL-21 will be administered intravenously.
RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells mixed with tumor proteins may help the body build an effective immune response to kill melanoma cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well vaccine therapy works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma.
This phase II trial is studying how well sorafenib works when given together with carboplatin and paclitaxel in treating patients with stage IV melanoma of the eye. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Sorafenib may help carboplatin and paclitaxel work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drugs. Sorafenib may also stop the growth of melanoma by blocking some of the enzymes needed for tumor cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving sorafenib together with carboplatin and paclitaxel may kill more tumor cells.
Background: - Natural killer (NK) cells are large lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) that are important in the immune response to cancer. - IL-2 (Aldesleukin) is a substance the body makes that controls the growth and function of many types of cells. The Food and Drug Administration has approved IL-3 for treating metastatic melanoma and kidney cancer. (Metastatic disease is cancer that has spread beyond the primary site.) Objectives: To determine the safety and effectiveness of treating metastatic melanoma and kidney cancer with laboratory-treated NK cells and IL-2. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age or older with metastatic melanoma or kidney cancer who have previously been treated with high-dose IL-2. Design: - Leukapheresis. Patients under leukapheresis to obtain NK cells for the treatment regimen. Blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and directed through a cell separator machine where white blood cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned to the patient through a needle in the other arm. NK cells are removed from the white blood cells and treated for re-infusion into the patient. - Chemotherapy. Starting 8 days before infusion of the treated NK cells, patients receive intravenous (IV, through a vein) infusions of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine to suppress the immune system. - NK cell infusion. Patients receive a 30-minute IV infusion of NK cells 2 days after the last dose of chemotherapy. - IL-2 therapy. Within 24 hours of the NK cell infusion, patients receive high-dose IL-2 as a 15-minute IV infusion every 8 hours for up to 5 days. A second cycle of IL-2 is given about 14 days after the first. - Blood tests and biopsy. Patients have frequent blood tests during the treatment period and may be asked to undergo a biopsy (surgical removal of a small piece of tumor or lymph node) at the end of treatment to look at the effects of the treatment on the tumor immune cells. - Follow-up evaluation. Patients are evaluated 4-6 weeks after completing treatment. They have a physical examination, scans of tumor sites, blood tests and blood sampling (or leukapheresis) to examine the response to treatment. Patients who improve with treatment return for evaluations every month. Those whose tumor grows again after originally shrinking may receive one additional treatment course.
AMP-005 is a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial designed to evaluate whether the new drug, imexon, can be administered in combination with the approved drug, dacarbazine (DTIC), for the treatment of patients with stage III or IV inoperable melanoma. The Phase 1b part of the study is designed to determine whether the two drugs can be safely combined together, and the Phase 2 part of the study is designed to provide additional safety data and to gain an understanding of whether adding imexon to DTIC can improve the outcome for melanoma patients versus the findings from prior clinical studies of DTIC alone.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as melphalan, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving melphalan directly into the arteries around the tumor may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether hepatic arterial infusion with melphalan is more effective than standard therapy in treating liver metastases due to melanoma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying hepatic arterial infusion with melphalan to see how well it works compared to standard therapy in treating patients with unresectable liver metastases due to melanoma.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, may be used to prepare the body for other treatments, such as cellular adoptive immunotherapy. Biological therapies, such as cellular adoptive immunotherapy, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Vaccines may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Giving cyclophosphamide together with fludarabine followed by biological therapy may be an effective treatment for metastatic melanoma. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of giving cyclophosphamide together with fludarabine followed by cellular adoptive immunotherapy, and vaccine therapy in treating patients with metastatic melanoma.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of fibrin sealant reduces post-operative drainage following groin and axillary lymph node dissection.