View clinical trials related to Brain Tumors.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to: Find out how safe and effective (by monitoring the good and/or bad effects) treatment with high dose temozolomide, thiotepa and carboplatin with stem cell rescue followed by 13-cis-retinoic acid has on children and adolescents with recurrent/refractory brain tumors Find out how the body uses 13-cis-retinoic acid by studying the your blood levels and proteins in the blood that break down the 13-cis-retinoic acid Determine how well 13-cis-retinoic acid penetrates into the spinal fluid.
RATIONALE: Donepezil may help lessen confusion and fatigue and improve mood and quality of life in patients who have undergone radiation therapy for brain tumors. It is not yet known whether donepezil is more effective than a placebo in lessening side effects of radiation therapy in patients with brain tumors. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying donepezil to see how well it works in lessening side effects of radiation therapy compared with a placebo in patients who have undergone radiation therapy for brain tumors.
The etiology of brain tumors is poorly understood. Due, in part, to public concern about a postulated relationship between the use of cellular telephones or other increasingly prevalent environmental exposures and the incidence of brain cancer in adults, the National Cancer Institute is collaborating with three U.S. hospitals in a comprehensive case-control study of malignant and benign brain tumors. Factors under consideration include use of cellular phones and other wireless communication devices, workplace exposures to chemical agents and electromagnetic fields, dietary factors, family history of tumors, genetic determinants of susceptibility, home appliance use, reproductive history and hormonal exposures, viruses, medical and dental exposure to ionizing radiation, and other aspects of medical history. Approximately 800 newly diagnosed brain tumor cases and 800 controls have been enrolled at hospitals in Boston, Phoenix and Pittsburgh. Cases include all adults (age greater than or equal to 18 years) newly diagnosed with a histologically confirmed intracranial glioma, intracranial meningioma or acoustic neuroma. Controls are patients admitted to the same hospitals as the cases, and treated for any of a variety of non-malignant conditions. Participating cases and controls were interviewed in the hospital by a research nurse and asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire and donate a sample of blood. Key features of the study include its large size, the emphasis on rapid ascertainment of incident cases and interview of study subjects rather than surrogate respondents, the use of detailed, job-specific questions developed by industrial hygienists to ascertain occupational exposures, and the storage of blood samples for future evaluation of inherited susceptibility, biomarkers of exposure and gene-environment interactions. Implementation of the study protocol proceeded without serious problems. There have been no harmful effects on study participants. There have been no complaints from participants or breaches of confidentiality. Continuation of this research involves analysis and reporting of results. As there will be many papers, this process is expected to extend over the next several years.
RATIONALE: Zoledronate may prevent bone loss in patients with primary malignant glioma. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well zoledronate works in preventing osteoporosis in patients with primary malignant glioma.
The aim of the study "Fluorescence-guided resection of malignant gliomas with 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) vs. conventional resection" is to determine how accurately contrast agent-accumulating tumour can be removed by primary surgery and to assess the clinical usefulness of this method.
To explore the relationship between tissue factor levels, tumour progression, activation of blood coagulation and venous thromboembolism with malignant glioma
The purpose of the study was to determine if treating a limited volume of normal tissue surrounding the tumor or tumor bed using conformal radiation therapy would achieve similar rates of disease control compared to standard radiation therapy. The study was also conducted to examine the effect of irradiation on neurological, endocrine and cognitive function.
Patients with recurrent or refractory solid tumors or brain tumors that are unresponsive to conventional therapy, or with no known effective therapy, will be treated. Experiments in the laboratory have shown the experimental drug RAD001C (RAD001, Everolimus) can prevent cells from multiplying. RAD001 is now being tested in diseases such as cancer, in which excessive cell multiplication needs to be stopped. The drug has been tested in adult cancer patients and has been well tolerated by subjects in these studies. It is experimental and, therefore, available in clinical trials.
In patients with malignant glioma, to determine the efficacy of prophylaxis with LMWH (dalteparin) compared to placebo, both commenced beyond the immediate postoperative period, for the prevention of VTE.
This study in children and young adults will compare two types of imaging, positron emission tomography ([(18)F]-DG PET) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRSI), to determine activity of a brain tumor or abnormal tissue in the brain following treatment for a brain tumor. Children with brain tumors are generally followed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to evaluate response to treatment. However, because MRI only provides information on the structure of the brain, it may difficult to tell if an abnormal finding is due to tumor, swelling, scar tissue, or dead tissue. (1)H-MRSI and [(18)F]-DG PET, on the other hand, provide information on the metabolic activity of brain lesions. These two methods will be compared and evaluated for their ability to provide important additional information on childhood brain tumors. Patients between 1 and 21 years of age with a brain tumor or brain tissue abnormality following treatment for a brain tumor may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and physical examination, pregnancy test in women who are able to become pregnant, and a blood test for glucose. Participants will undergo the following procedures: (1)H-MRSI - This test is similar to MRI and is done in the same scanning machine. In MRI, scans of the brain are obtained by applying a strong magnetic field and then collecting the signals released from water after the magnetic field is changed. Pictures of the brain are then obtained by computer analysis of these signals. In (1)H-MRSI, the computer blocks the signal from water to get information on brain chemicals that can indicate whether an abnormality is tumor or dead tissue. Both MRI and MRI and (1)H-MRSI are done in this study. For these tests, the child lies on a stretcher that moves into the scanner - a narrow metal cylinder with a strong magnetic field. The child's head is placed in a headrest to prevent movement during the scan. He or she will hear loud thumping noises caused by the electrical switching of the magnetic field. A contrast agent is given through an intravenous (IV) catheter (plastic tube placed in an arm vein) or through a central line if one is in place. The contrast material brightens the images to provide a clearer picture of abnormalities. Children who have difficulty holding still or being in a scanning machine are given medications by an anesthesiologist to make them sleep through the procedure. Children who are awake during the procedure can communicate with the MRI technician at all times and ask to be removed from the scanner at any time. The MRI and (1)H-MRSI take 1-1/2 to 2 hours to complete. [(18)F]-DG PET - For this test, [(18)F]-DG (a radioactive form of glucose) is injected into the patient's arm vein through a catheter, followed by the PET scan, similar to a very open MRI scan without the noise. The PET scan tells how active the patient's tumor is by tracking the radioactive glucose. All cells use glucose, but cells with increased metabolism, such as cancer cells, use more glucose than normal cells. After the glucose injection, the patient lies quietly in a darkened room for 30 minutes, after which he or she is asked to urinate to help reduce the dose of radiation to the bladder. Then, the scan begins. When the scan is finished (after about 1 hour), the child is asked to urinate again and then every 3 to 4 hours for the rest of the day. Patients remain in the study for 2 years unless they withdraw, become pregnant, or require sedation but can no longer use an anesthetic. MRI and 1H-MRSI scans may be repeated every few months during the study period, if necessary. Only one PET scan is done each year.