View clinical trials related to Neoplasms.
Filter by:Patients with gastric adenocarcinoma are most frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage. The disease has a marked propensity for loco-regional spread and will be the sole or major site of disease in up to 80% of patients. Various attempts at controlling loco-regional disease have not been successful. The selective lethal effect of supranormal temperatures on neoplastic cells and the additive or synergistic effect of combining chemotherapy has been well established in laboratory models and has provided the rationale for numerous clinical trials using hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion for advanced extremity melanoma or sarcoma. This Phase I study will evaluate the safety of escalating temperatures of continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) with escalating doses of intraperitoneal Cisplatin (CDDP) in the treatment of patients with advanced peritoneal adenocarcinoma of gastrointestinal origin.
Malignant brain tumors are responsible for a significant amount of deaths in children and adults. Even with advances in surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, many patients diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor survive only months to weeks. In an attempt to improve the prognosis for these patients, researchers have developed a new approach to brain tumor therapy. This approach makes use of DNA technology to transfer genes sensitive to therapy into the cells of the tumor. Infections with the herpes simplex virus can cause cold sores in the area of the mouth. A drug called ganciclovir (Cytovene) can kill the virus. Ganciclovir is effective because the herpes virus contains a gene (Herpes-Thymidine Kinase TK gene) that is sensitive to the drug. Researchers have been able to separate this gene from the virus. Using DNA technology, researchers hope to transfer and implant the TK gene into tumor cells making them sensitive to ganciclovir. In theory, giving patients ganciclovir will kill all tumor cells that have the TK gene incorporated into them.
The clinical study entitled "A Phase I Study of Infusional Chemotherapy with the P-glycoprotein Antagonist PSC 833" seeks to determine the maximum tolerated dose for a proposed P-glycoprotein antagonist, PSC 833. PSC 833 is a cyclosporine analogue which is purportedly non-nephrotoxic and non-immunosuppressive. It has been shown in in-vitro studies to enhance chemosensitivity as well as cyclosporine and to be far better at increasing intracellular drug accumulation than the concentrations of verapamil which are clinically achievable. The purpose of this study is to define the maximum tolerated dose in combination with vinblastine, and to determine how the drug affects the pharmacokinetics of vinblastine. PSC 833 will most likely reduce the clearance of vinblastine, as reported for the parent compound, cyclosporine. This effect will increase the area under the curve (AUC) of vinblastine, may increase toxicity, and requires that the escalation scheme for PSC 833 be a conservative one. Initially, a 120 hour infusion of vinblastine will be given alone. Then 8 days of PSC 833 will follow to allow monitoring of adverse effects of PSC 833 alone. This first cycle of vinblastine will be given in the absence of PSC 833; in second and subsequent cycles both agents will be combined. Escalation of the PSC 833 will continue until a target concentration is reached, or until the maximum tolerated dose is reached. Clinical responses will be monitored in order to provide the best possible medical care to our patients.
This is a phase I/II study of interleukin-1, G-CSF and high dose ICE chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplant in patients with relapsed breast, testicular and lymphoid cancers. The initial goal of this study was to define the toxicity of interleukin-1 administered for 7 days prior to ICE chemotherapy. A total of 22 patients have been treated with IL-1 and ICE and results showed a more rapid engraftment (4.5 days) with IL-1. A second cohort of 18 patients also received G-CSF and engraftment was further shortened in some subgroups. Overall, the median time to engraftment was 16 days with both IL-1 and G-CSF. Accrual will continue to further define the toxicity and efficacy of this regimen.
This is a phase I study to determine the maximal tolerated dose of IL-3 given alone or sequentially with GM-CSF following FLAC chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer patients.
Patients with untreated clinical stage II breast cancer are eligible. An excisional biopsy of the primary tumor is acceptable, but without definitive local therapy or prior chemotherapy. Histologic confirmation of invasive carcinoma is required. Patients are prospectively randomized to receive five 21-day cycles of dose-intense (5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, leucovorin, cytoxan, granuloctye-colony stimulating factor [FLAC/G-CSF]) chemotherapy either before (preoperative) or after (postoperative) local therapy. Chemotherapy is given as an outpatient. For patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy, local therapy (modified radical mastectomy, or breast segmentectomy/axillary dissection/breast radiotherapy according to patient preference) is performed 3-4 weeks after last chemotherapy. For patients receiving postoperative chemotherapy, chemotherapy will begin 2-3 weeks after local therapy. Immediate reconstruction for mastectomy is acceptable. Upon completion of local therapy and chemotherapy in either treatment group, all estrogen receptor positive patients receive tamoxifen for 5 years. Follow-up consists of history and physical examination each 3 months for first 3 years, each six months for years 4 and 5, and yearly thereafter. Mammogram, bone scan, chest x-ray and blood work are performed yearly.
This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of high dose melphalan and autologous bone marrow transplantation given as consolidation therapy to patients with inflammatory or metastatic carcinoma of the breast in complete remission. All patients entered will receive induction therapy with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil with hormonal synchronization utilizing tamoxifen and premarin as in a previous Medicine Branch protocol (MB-160C). Among patients with inflammatory carcinoma of the breast, pathologic complete responders will receive irradiation to the breast and regional lymph nodes; convertible partial responders and clinical complete responders with residual disease on biopsy will undergo surgical resection of bulk disease followed by irradiation of the chest wall and regional lymph nodes excluding the axilla. Both groups of responders will be randomized to receive either systemic consolidation therapy with high dose melphalan (180 mg/M2 total dose over 3 days) and autologous bone marrow transplantation followed by maintenance therapy or maintenance therapy alone. Complete responders in this noninflammatory group will not receive further therapy since, historically, they have done well following induction and local therapy, with maintenance therapy alone. Patients with metastatic breast cancer will be assessed for response throughout induction therapy. Complete and convertable partial responders will receive consolidative therapy and be randomized to ABMT followed by 6 months of maintenance therapy vs. maintenance alone.
Patients with Grade I soft tissue sarcomas or benign, non-metastasizing invasive soft tissue tumors will receive wide local excision and be prospectively randomized as to either receive or not receive radiation therapy.
Presently, patients with primary malignant brain tumors have a life expectancy of 15 weeks following surgery unless they receive additional types of therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or immunotherapy). Patients that receive additional therapy can increase life expectancy to 50 weeks. The statistics on the life expectancy and survival have increased efforts among researchers to develop new treatments for primary malignant brain tumors. This research project involves the growth and study of human brain tumor cells outside the body in the laboratory as part of an attempt to better understand these tumors and to develop more effective treatments for them.
This study will assess the use of ultrasound-a test that uses sound waves to produce images-as a diagnostic tool for evaluating speech and swallowing. The following categories of individuals may be eligible for this study: 1) healthy volunteers between 20 and 85 years old with normal speech and hearing, 2) patients 6 to 85 years old with developmental neurological deficits in speech or swallowing, and 3) patients with tumors of the oral cavity, pharynx or larynx being treated at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Participants will undergo a 30-minute speech and oral motion evaluation, in which they imitate sounds, words and oral movements while a speech pathologist evaluates their lip, tongue and palate movements. They may also be asked to drink a small amount of water for examination of swallowing function. For the ultrasound examination, a 3/4-inch transducer (device for transmitting and receiving sound waves) is placed under the participant's chin. While the transducer is in place, the subject 1) repeats sounds and a series of syllables in several sequences, 2) swallows three times with and without a small amount of water, and 3) swallows 3 teaspoons of non-fat pudding. The ultrasound images are recorded on tape for later analysis.