View clinical trials related to Neoplasms.
Filter by:Investigation of the causes of genetic defects relating to hereditary urologic malignancies will be undertaken. These rare disorders result from inherited or newly arising mutations in genes involved in the development and function of different organ systems. As specific disease syndromes are recognized and the responsible genes identified, mutations in individual families can be identified. Correlation of mutation sites with clinical information will help determine how specific gene segments encode important functional protein domains. Families with urologic malignant disorders of known or suspected genetic basis will be enrolled. Genetic linkage studies will include all available family members, while gene sequence analysis will be performed on affected individuals. Unaffected family members or unrelated normal individuals will serve as controls. The family members will be identified by the proband or proband's parent when the initial pedigree is taken. Subjects considered by the investigators to be appropriate for linkage studies will be invited to participate by the local genetics provider or by the investigators, who will then connect these members to their own local providers for enrollment. In our studies of inherited urologic malignant disorders, there may be individuals from renal cancer families who do not undergo clinical evaluation for the presence of an inherited urologic malignant disorder at the National Institutes of Health because of their health problems, geographical location, or personal preference. Even though these individuals do not undergo a clinical evaluation of their suspected inherited urologic malignant disorder at the National Institutes of Health, they may have rare diseases that are extremely important to study. Therefore, we intend to collect blood samples for genetic studies from these individuals to facilitate linkage analysis and disease gene identification. Samples will be collected either by the individual's physician and sent to NIH, or will be collected by NIH physicians at either the individual's off-site location or at the NIH.
This is a phase II clinical and pharmacokinetic study of suppression of human antimouse (HAMA) and antitoxin antibodies (HATA) to immunotoxin LMB-1 by Rituximab (anti-CD20). The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of Rituximab on HAMA and HATA response to LMB-1 administered to patients with advanced carcinoma that express the B3 antigen. Other objectives include evaluation of the pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor effects.
The von Hippel Lindau (VHL) gene has recently been identified as the genetic defect resulting in a syndrome of multiple neoplasias. Patients with VHL disease develop retinal angiomata, renal cysts and/or carcinomas, CNS hemangioblastomas as well as pancreatic cysts and pheochromocytomas. Investigators have shown the gene to be a tumor suppressor type proto-oncogene located at chromosomal locus 3p26. The gene includes three exons whose gene product targets a cellular transcription factor Elongin SIII. Binding of the VHL proteins to two subunits of this elongation factor inhibits transcription and may play a crucial role in the clinical development of the von Hippel Lindau phenotype.
The goal of this study is to learn how tumors of the upper airway and digestive passages (tongue, throat, mouth, and voicebox) affect the body's immune defenses and energy storage. Previous studies have shown that tumors of the vocal tract produce signals that could help the tumor escape the body's immune defenses and use the body's energy and mineral stores to grow. Researchers are hoping to learn more about what signals give tumor cells an advantage to live and grow, how tumor cells control these signals, and how these signals affect the rest of the body. This study will look closer at researchers belief that tumors in the vocal tract contain genes (genetic information) that abnormally function to allow the tumors to survive and grow against the attack of the body's normal immune system Patients with cancerous tumors (squamous cell carcinoma) and benign (non-cancerous) tumors (papilloma) of the upper aerodigestive tract who are candidates for standard or investigational therapy are eligible to participate in this study. Tumor cells will be collected from patients participating in the study, who will undergo standard surgical treatment or biopsies for their conditions. Once tumor cells are collected they can be analyzed for their genetic make-up. In addition, patients will undergo several tests using skin, blood, and urine to look closely at the function of their immune systems and metabolism.
Patients with unresectable primary or metastatic cancer confined to the liver will undergo a 1 hour hyperthermic isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) via the portal vein and hepatic artery with escalating dose melphalan. Patients eligible for this protocol are those with non-colorectal histologies and those with colorectal cancer previously treated with intra-arterial FUDR. Hepatic and systemic toxicity, response to treatment, duration of response, and survival will be followed.
This is a dose escalation study. During the first period of this study, an initial pharmacological assessment of fluorouracil administered intravenously along with oral leucovorin calcium is made. Leucovorin calcium is given orally bid on days 1-3. Fluorouracil is given as a 24 hour infusion on day 2. After a 2 week rest period and resolution of any toxicities experienced during the first period of treatment, patients are given an escalating dose of fluorouracil with fixed doses of leucovorin calcium and ethynyluracil. Ethynyluracil and leucovorin calcium are given bid orally on days 1-3 of each week. Fluorouracil is given bid orally on day 2 of each week. Treatment is repeated for three weeks followed by a one week rest period. 3 to 6 patients are enrolled at each dose level. Dose escalation proceeds until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 or more patients experience dose limiting toxicity.
Patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer confined to the liver will undergo a 1 hour hyperthermic isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) with escalating dose melphalan. Postoperatively, patients will be treated with hepatic arterial infusion of floxuridine (FUDR), 0.2 mg/kg/day and leucovorin (LV), 15 mg/M2/day as a 2-week continuous infusion regimen. Hepatic and systemic toxicity, response to treatment, duration of response, and survival will be followed.
Bolus PSC 833 is administered on Day 1 simultaneously with initiation of 24 hour continuous infusion of PSC 833, followed by another continuous infusion lasting an additional 6 days. To ensure the safety of a 7 day infusion of PSC 833, one patient is treated for 5 days and a second for 6 days, before the first cohort is enrolled. Vinblastine is administered in escalating doses on days 2-5. At least 3 patients are entered at each dose level. The MTD will be defined as the dose immediately below that at which 2 patients experience dose limiting toxicity. Treatment continues every 28 days.
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel (Taxol) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), followed by high-dose melphalan and etoposide for treating inflammatory breast cancer. Patients also receive infusions of their own previously collected progenitor cells (primitive cells that can make new cells to replace ones destroyed by chemotherapy). Patients 18 years of age or older with stage IIIB inflammatory breast cancer that has not metastasized (spread beyond the breast) may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, blood and urine tests, and chest x-ray. They have computed tomography (CT) of the head, chest, abdomen and pelvis as well as a bone scan to determine the extent of disease, and a nuclear medicine scan called MUGA to examine the heart's pumping ability. They may receive a rehabilitation medicine evaluation. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: - Central venous line placement: Patients have a central venous line (plastic tube) placed into a major vein in the chest before beginning treatment. The line remains in the body throughout treatment and is used to give chemotherapy and other medications and to withdraw blood samples. The line is usually placed under local anesthesia in the radiology department or the operating room. - Chemotherapy: Patients receive two or more cycles of paclitaxel and cyclophosphamide. Paclitaxel is given intravenously (I.V., through a vein) for 72 hours using a portable pump. Cyclophosphamide is given daily for 3 days I.V. over 1 hour. The cycles may be 28 days apart. A drug called Mesna is given with this treatment to protect the bladder from irritation from cyclophosphamide. Patients who have not previously been treated with doxorubicin (Adriamycin) may receive a maximum of four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide by vein on a single day during each cycle, with cycles 21 days apart. When all the paclitaxel/cyclophosphamide cycles are completed, patients receive melphalan and etoposide, both drugs I.V. over 1 to 8 hours for three consecutive days. - G-CSF treatment: After each paclitaxel/cyclophosphamide cycle and after the melphalan/etoposide treatment, patients are given a drug called G-CSF. G-CSF, injected under the skin, stimulates production of infection-fighting white blood cells. - Apheresis: This is a procedure to collect progenitor cells for later reinfusion. For this procedure, blood is collected through a catheter (plastic tube) placed in an arm vein. The blood is circulated through a cell-separating machine, where the white cells, including the progenitor cells, are extracted, and the red cells are returned to the patient through another catheter in the other arm. Apheresis is done after each of two cycles of paclitaxel/cyclophosphamide. - Progenitor cell transplant: Progenitor cells are reinfused after melphalan/etoposide treatment. - Glucose infusion: A salt solution with chemically modified glucose is infused I.V. over a period of from 12 to 48 hours, with subsequent donation of blood cells for blood and immune system studies. Patients have a maximum of two glucose infusions, separated by at least 3 months. - Tumor biopsy: Some patients have a biopsy of their tumor (removal of a small piece of tumor tissue for microscopic study) before starting chemotherapy. - Blood tests: Blood is drawn frequently to monitor safety and treatment response, and for research purposes. - Dental consultation: Some patients may have a dental consultation before the progenitor cell transplant.
Women who are at high risk for breast cancer, either because of linkage to high risk breast and ovarian cancer families, or because of a carcinoma in the opposite breast, will be studied. Women will have a physical examination and mammography to ensure that no breast abnormalities are present. Eligible women will undergo biopsy of the breast to obtain normal breast tissue. Short-term cell cultures will be established from this tissue and early passages of the short-term cell lines will be stored. A bank of high risk normal mammary epithelial cells will be established. To further characterize the mammary epithelial cells in this population of women, cell cultures will subsequently be analyzed for their growth and metabolic properties, sensitivity to chemopreventive agents, steroid receptor characteristics, oncogene expression and regulation, and genetic changes.