View clinical trials related to Ependymoma.
Filter by:This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vorinostat when given together with bortezomib in treating young patients with refractory or recurrent solid tumors, including CNS tumors and lymphoma. Vorinostat and bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor.
Background: - An experimental drug called ABT-888 has been studied in combination with temozolomide (a type of chemotherapy) in adults who have certain kinds of cancer. ABT-88 has been shown to increase tumor sensitivity to temozolomide and improve treatment outcomes in people who have cancer. More research is needed to determine if this combination of drugs will work well as an effective treatment for children who have brain tumors. This will be the first time this combination has been studied in pediatric patients. Objectives: - To determine the maximum doses of ABT-888 and temozolomide when given in combination in children with brain tumors. - To learn how children metabolize and clear ABT-888 from their bodies so that appropriate doses of this medication can be recommended for future clinical trials of this drug. - To learn what side effects may occur when ABT-888 and temozolomide are given together. - To learn how certain tumors respond to this combination of drugs by studying the characteristics of these tumors in a laboratory. Eligibility: - Individuals less than 21 years of age who have been diagnosed with a cancer of the nervous system (including brain and brain stem tumors) that has not responded to standard therapy. Design: - Before beginning the study, participants will have a full medical history and physical examination, and may also be required to have scans of the brain and spine or provide samples of cerebrospinal fluid. - Treatment will consist of up to 13 28-day cycles of therapy, for a total of 52 weeks (1 year). Participants will receive a dose of ABT-888 twice daily for 5 days, and will receive a dose of temozolomide once daily for 5 days, every 28 days. The morning dose of ABT-888 will be given 60-90 minutes before the dose of temozolomide. - Participants will have routine blood tests at least once a week throughout the treatment cycles, and will have scans of the brain and spine performed as required by the researchers.
This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of ABT-888 when given in combination with temozolomide in treating young patients with recurrent or refractory CNS tumors. ABT-888 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving ABT-888 together with temozolomide may kill more tumor cells.
Adult intracranial ependymoma is a relatively rare brain tumour entity, accounting for 2-5% of all intracranial neoplasms. The pertinent prognostic factors as well as the pattern of recurrence remain to be elucidated. According to several recent reports, the prognostic value of Karnofski performance status, tumour location, the extent of surgical removal, histological grade and even postoperative radiotherapy remain controversial. As a consequence, optimal therapeutic management of adult intracranial ependymomas remains an ongoing debate. For this reason, a retrospective study conducted by the French society of neurosurgery (SFNC), neuropathology (SFNP) and the association of the neuro-oncologists of French expression (ANOCEF) was undertaken and allowed to collect 258 cases coming from 25 centers, initially diagnosed as intracranial ependymomas between 1990 and 2004. Clinical and follow-up data of these patients are known and the paraffin embedded samples as well as the frozen tissues available have been centralized. Central pathological review of these 258 cases was conducted by two senior neuropathologists and confirmed the diagnosis of ependymoma in 152 cases, thus constituting the most important series of the literature. Few molecular studies were carried out on ependymomas. The investigators have the opportunity, based on this important series, to determine the clinicopathological criteria and the molecular markers who will allow a better characterization of the diagnosis and the prognosis of these tumors.
The purpose of this study is to collect and store brain tissue samples and blood from children with brain cancer that will be tested in the laboratory. Collecting and storing samples of tumor tissue and blood from patients to test in the laboratory may help the study of cancer in the future.
This laboratory study is looking at stored tumor samples in young patients with brain tumors. Studying samples of tumor tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer.
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if the combination of Avastin (bevacizumab) and Tykerb (lapatinib) can help to control ependymoma in pediatric patients. The safety of this drug combination will also be studied.
The purpose of this study is to test the usefulness of imaging with radiolabeled methionine in the evaluation of children and young adults with tumor(s). Methionine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid. It is crucial for the formation of proteins. When labeled with carbon-11 (C-11), a radioactive isotope of the naturally occurring carbon-12, the distribution of methionine can be determined noninvasively using a PET (positron emission tomography) camera. C-11 methionine (MET) has been shown valuable in the monitoring of a large number of neoplasms. Since C-11 has a short half life (20 minutes), MET must be produced in a facility very close to its intended use. Thus, it is not widely available and is produced only at select institutions with access to a cyclotron and PET chemistry facility. With the new availability of short lived tracers produced by its PET chemistry unit, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (St. Jude) is one of only a few facilities with the capabilities and interests to evaluate the utility of PET scanning in the detection of tumors, evaluation of response to therapy, and distinction of residual tumor from scar tissue in patients who have completed therapy. The investigators propose to examine the biodistribution of MET in patients with malignant solid neoplasms, with emphasis on central nervous system (CNS) tumors and sarcomas. This project introduces a new diagnostic test for the noninvasive evaluation of neoplasms in pediatric oncology. Although not the primary purpose of this proposal, the investigators anticipate that MET studies will provide useful clinical information for the management of patients with malignant neoplasms.
The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if lapatinib when given in combination with temozolomide can help to control ependymoma that has come back after treatment. The safety of this combination will also be studied.
The purpose of this study is to improve overall survival while maintaining a good quality of life in pediatric patients with refractory or recurrent brain tumors (medulloblastomas, supratentorial PNETs, ependymomas WHO grade II and III). Response to different chemotherapy options (intravenous versus oral chemotherapy, intraventricular chemotherapy) as part of a multimodal therapy will be assessed. Progression-free, overall survival and toxicity will be evaluated additionally.