View clinical trials related to Skin Cancer.
Filter by:Objectives: The objective of this study is to develop a valid and reliable measure of the symptom burden experienced by patients with cancer experiencing disease-related skin problems and to delineate this burden over time. The Primary Aim is to develop and validate an M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) module (the MDASI-Derm), compliant with FDA standards for patient-reported outcomes (PROs), to measure the severity of multiple symptoms and the impact of these symptoms on daily functioning in patients with cancer-related skin problems. We hypothesize that the MDASI-Derm will be valid and reliable for measuring the severity of multiple symptoms and the impact of these symptoms on daily functioning in patients with cancer-related skin problems. The Secondary Aims are: 1. to develop a detailed description of the severity and interference with daily activities of symptoms experienced by patients with cancer-related skin problems; 2. to assess the impact of symptom severity on standard function and quality of life (QOL) measures including both quantitative (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] Performance Status, single-item QOL, and Skindex-16 scales) and qualitative measures (patient interviews); 3. to evaluate the MDASI-Derm as an estimate of functional status and QOL in patients with cancer-related skin problems; 4. to identify common clusters of symptoms and symptom patterns occurring over multiple measurement time points in patients with cancer-related skin problems; 5. to define the qualitative symptom experience of patients with cancer-related skin problems; 6. to explore the feasibility of the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system in measuring symptom severity and interference with daily activities over time in patients with cancer-related skin problems.
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if Tarceva ® (erlotinib) when taken before and after radiation and/or surgery can help to control aggressive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The safety of the drug will also be studied.
Patient will choose to either receive the standard of care according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) or approved guidelines for their condition or to be treated according to one arm of the protocol that they could not be enrolled on. The selection of the arm will be at physician discretion.
Transplant recipients have a high risk to develop skin malignancies. This effect depends on the one hand on the immunosuppressive drugs themselves (i.e., azathioprine) and relates on the other hand on the dosage (i.e., calcineurin-inhibitors). Based on the encouraging results of previous, retrospective studies on patients treated with Sirolimus (SRL), these patients should be switched to an immunosuppressive regime including SRL, decreasing the dosage of calcineurin-inhibitors or converting from former immunosuppression. A conversion to a SRL-based therapy is effective in immunosuppression and safe regarding graft and patient survival. This study was designed to assess whether a switch to a SRL-immunosuppressive therapy decreases the incidence/reoccurrence of skin neoplasm.
Background: - Melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells (MART)-1 is a protein present in melanoma cells. - An experimental procedure developed for treating patients with melanoma uses the anti-MART-1 F5 gene and a type of virus to make special cells called anti-MART-1 F5 cells that are designed to destroy the patient's tumor. These cells are created in the laboratory using the patient's own tumor cells or blood cells. - The treatment procedure also uses a vaccine called plaque purified canarypox vector (ALVAC) MART-1, made from a virus that ordinarily infects canaries and is modified to carry a copy of the MART-1 gene. The virus cannot reproduce in mammals, so it cannot cause disease in humans. When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it stimulates cells in the immune system that may increase the efficiency of the anti-MART-1 F5 cells. Objectives: -To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of anti-MART-1 F5 and the ALVAC vaccine in treating patients with advanced melanoma. Eligibility: -Patients 18 years of age with metastatic melanoma for whom standard treatments have not been effective. Design: - Patients undergo scans, x-rays and other tests and leukapheresis to obtain white cells for laboratory treatment. - Patients have 7 days of chemotherapy to prepare the immune system for receiving the anti-MART-1 F5. - Patients receive the ALVAC vaccine, anti-MART-1 F5 cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2) (an approved treatment for advanced melanoma). The anti-MART-1 F5 cells are given as an infusion through a vein. The vaccine is given as injections just before the infusion of anti-MART-1 F5 cells and again 2 weeks later. IL-2 is given as a 15-minute infusion every 8 hours for up to 5 days after the cell infusion for a maximum of 15 doses. - After hospital discharge, patients return to the clinic for periodic follow-up with a physical examination, review of treatment side effects, laboratory tests and scans every 1 to 6 months.
Background: - gp100 is a protein that is often found in melanoma tumors. - An experimental procedure developed for treating patients with melanoma uses anti-gp100 cells designed to destroy their tumors. The anti-gp100 cells are created in the laboratory using the patient's own tumor cells or blood cells. - The treatment procedure also uses a vaccine called plaque purified canarypox vector (ALVAC) gp100, made from a virus that ordinarily infects canaries and is modified to carry a copy of the gp100 gene. The virus cannot reproduce in mammals, so it cannot cause disease in humans. When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it stimulates cells in the immune system that may increase the efficiency of the anti gp 100 cells. Objectives: -To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of anti-gp100 cells and the ALVAC gp100 vaccine in treating patients with advanced melanoma. Eligibility: -Patients with metastatic melanoma for whom standard treatments have not been effective. Design: - Patients undergo scans, x-rays and other tests and leukapheresis to obtain white cells for laboratory treatment. - Patients have 7 days of chemotherapy to prepare the immune system for receiving the gp100 cells. - Patients receive the ALVAC vaccine, anti-gp100 cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2) (an approved treatment for advanced melanoma). The anti gp100 cells are given as an infusion through a vein. The vaccine is given as injections just before the infusion of gp100 cells and again 2 weeks later. IL-2 is given as a 15-minute infusion every 8 hours for up to 5 days after the cell infusion for a maximum of 15 doses. - After hospital discharge, patients return to the clinic for periodic follow-up with a physical examination, review of treatment side effects, laboratory tests and scans every 1 to 6 months.
Background: - Human peripheral blood lymphocytes have been engineered to express a T-cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a blood type, human leukocyte antigen (HLA-A*0201) derived from the gp100 protein. A retroviral vector was constructed that can deliver the TCR to cells. - This gene-engineered cell is over 10 times more reactive with melanoma cells than is the melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells (MART-1) TCR that resulted in tumor shrinkage for two patients with metastatic melanoma. Objectives: - To determine whether an anti-melanoma protein receptor can be put in cells removed from patients' tumors or blood and then reinfused, with the purpose of shrinking tumors. - To evaluate safety and effectiveness of the treatment. Eligibility: - Patients 18 years of age or older with metastatic cancer melanoma (cancer that has spread beyond the original site). - Patient's leukocyte antigen type is HLA-A*0201. Design: -Patients undergo the following procedures: - Leukapheresis (on two occasions). This is a method of collecting large numbers of white blood cells. The cells obtained in the first leukapheresis procedure are grown in the laboratory, and the anti-gp100 protein is inserted into the cells using an inactivated (harmless) virus in a process called retroviral transduction. Cells collected in the second leukapheresis procedure are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the study treatment. - Chemotherapy. Patients are given chemotherapy through a vein (intravenously, IV) over 1 hour for 2 days to suppress the immune system so that the patient's immune cells do not interfere with the treatment. - Treatment with anti-gp100. Patients receive an IV infusion of the treated cells containing anti-gp100 protein, followed by infusions of a drug called IL-2 (aldesleukin), which helps boost the effectiveness of the treated white cells. - Patients are given support medications to prevent complications such as infections. - Patients may undergo a tumor biopsy (removal of a small piece of tumor tissue). - Patients are evaluated with laboratory tests and imaging tests, such as CT scans, 4 to 6 weeks after treatment and then once a month for 3 to 4 months to determine the response to treatment. - Patients have blood tests at 3, 6, and 12 months and then annually for 5 years.