View clinical trials related to Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.
Filter by:Background: - Children who are diagnosed with brain tumors known as high grade gliomas or diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas are generally treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, these tumors are very difficult to cure, and the tumor frequently begins to grow again even after treatment or surgery. Researchers are interested in determining whether the anticancer drug lenalidomide, which has been used to treat other aggressive types of cancer, is a safe and effective additional treatment for children who are scheduled to receive radiation therapy to treat high grade gliomas or diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. Objectives: - To determine the safety and effectiveness of lenalidomide, in conjunction with radiation therapy, as a treatment for children who have been diagnosed with high grade gliomas or diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. Eligibility: - Children and adolescents up to 21 years of age who have been diagnosed with high grade gliomas or diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas and have not had radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Design: - Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, blood and urine tests, and imaging studies. - Participants will have two phases of treatment: a lenalidomide plus radiation phase and a lenalidomide-only phase. - During the radiation phase, participants will take lenalidomide daily and have 6 weeks of radiation therapy (five treatments per week). After the radiation therapy, participants will stop taking lenalidomide for 2 weeks before continuing to the next phase. - During the lenalidomide-only phase, participants will take lenalidomide daily for 21 days, followed by 7 days without lenalidomide (28-day cycle of treatment). Participants will have up to 24 cycles of lenalidomide. - Participants will have frequent blood tests during the first cycle of treatment, and will have imaging studies or other tests as required by the study researchers. - Treatment will continue until the disease progresses, the participant chooses to leave the study, or the researchers end the study.
This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of vorinostat and to see how well it works when given together with radiation therapy followed by maintenance therapy with vorinostat in treating younger patients with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (a brainstem tumor). Vorinostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving vorinostat together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.
Diagnosis of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) for decades has relied on imaging studies and clinical findings. Histologic confirmation has been absent with surgical biopsy of brainstem tumors not believed to have acceptable safety. The prognosis of DIPG has remained quite poor and novel therapeutic strategies are needed. This DIPG Biology and Treatment Study (DIPG-BATS) study incorporates a surgical biopsy at presentation using strict preoperative neurosurgical planning and stratifies participants to receive FDA-approved agents chosen on the basis of specific biologic targets. This is the first prospective national clinical trial to examine the feasibility and safety of incorporating surgical biopsy into potential treatment strategies for children with DIPG.
The aim of the study is to determine the safety of Cilengitide in combination with radiation therapy.
The purpose of this study is to prospectively collect specimens from pediatric patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma or brainstem glioma, either during therapy or at autopsy, in order to characterize the molecular abnormalities of this tumor.
This is a research study of patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. We hope to learn about the safety and efficacy of treating pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma patients with the EGFRvIII peptide vaccine after conventional radiation.
This is a Phase I clinical trial evaluating the combination of vandetanib and dasatinib during and after radiation therapy (RT) in children with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
The outcome for children with high-grade gliomas and diffuse intrinsic brainstem gliomas remains poor despite the use of multi-modal therapy with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Currently, there are few effective treatments for the following aggressive brain tumors: glioblastoma multiforme, anaplastic astrocytoma, gliomatosis cerebri, gliosarcoma, or brainstem glioma. Surgery and radiation can generally slow down these aggressive brain tumors, but in the majority of patients, these tumors will start growing again in 6-12 months. Adding chemotherapy drugs to surgery and radiation does not clearly improve the cure rate of children with malignant gliomas. The investigators are conducting this study to see if the combination of valproic acid and bevacizumab (also known as AvastinTM) with surgery and radiation will shrink these brain tumors more effectively and improve the chance of cure.
Diffuse pontine gliomas are tumors on the pons portion of the brainstem. Their peak incidence is in children between 5 and 10 years old. Their location makes surgical resection impossible. Most patients are treated with radiation, which typically delays progression of the tumor for a median time of only about 6 months; median survival time is less than 1 year. The addition of chemotherapy has not improved the outcome. Alpha, beta, and gamma interferons have been used to treat malignant brain tumors, with mixed results. Different doses and different methods of administration have been studied. Alpha interferon is usually given in high doses 2 or 3 times a week, but it has serious side effects at these doses. Recent studies have shown that administering chemotherapy more frequently at smaller doses (metronomic) may have a better effect against the tumor. PEG-Intron(Trademark) is a form of interferon alpha combined with monomethoxy polyethylene glycol (PEG). It has a longer half-life than interferon alone, is administered once a week, and the long half-life reduces the peaks and troughs in blood levels. This study will enroll 32 patients under age 21. The primary goals of the study are to determine if there is a difference in the 2-year survival rate of patients treated with radiation alone and those treated with radiation followed by PEG-Intron(Trademark) and to define the toxicities of PEG-Intron(Trademark) in the study doses. Secondary goals are to evaluate various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for noninvasive monitoring of changes in the brainstem and to evaluate neuropsychological function. In this study, PEG-Intron(Trademark) will be administered subcutaneously once a week at low doses (0.3 microgram per kilogram of body weight) for a 4-week cycle. The cycles will be repeated indefinitely until progression of disease or serious side effects develop. For less severe effects, the dose will be lowered and the patient may remain in the study. For more severe effects, the dose will be discontinued. Patients in the study may receive supportive medication but may not receive other forms of chemotherapy. Patients or their caregivers will be instructed in how to inject the drug. Patients and/or caregivers will be asked to maintain a diary documenting the dose, site of administration, and any side effects. The diary will be reviewed at each National Cancer Institute (NCI) visit. Patients will return to NCI before cycles 2 and 3. If there are no significant side effects, patients may then return to NCI before every other cycle, indefinitely (i.e., before cycles 5, 7, 9, etc.). Patients will undergo the following tests and procedures: - Physical examination, including neurologic exam, monthly - Complete blood count, differential, and platelet count weekly during cycle 1 and every 2 weeks thereafter if no severe side effects occur - Blood chemistries weekly during cycle 1 and every 2 weeks thereafter if no severe side effects occur - Endocrine function tests before each cycle - Urinalysis before each cycle - MRI of the brain before cycles 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and every other month; patients may also have proton magnetic spectroscopic imaging performed at the time of the MRI