View clinical trials related to Ependymoma.
Filter by:Patients with relapsed medulloblastoma, ependymoma and ATRT have a very poor prognosis whether treated with conventional chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, irradiation or combinations of these modalities. Antiangiogenetic therapy has emerged as new treatment option in solid malignancies. The frequent, metronomic schedule targets both proliferating tumor cells and endothelial cells, and minimizes toxicity. In this study the investigators will evaluate the use of biweekly intravenous bevacizumab in combination with five oral drugs (thalidomide, celecoxib, fenofibrate, and alternating cycles of daily low-dose oral etoposide and cyclophosphamide), augmented with alternating courses of intrathecal etoposide and cytarabine. The aim of the study is to extend therapy options for children with recurrent or progressive medulloblastoma, ependymoma and ATRT, for whom no known curative therapy exists, by prolonging survival while maintaining good quality of life. The primary objective of the MEMMAT trial is to evaluate the activity of this multidrug antiangiogenic approach in these heavily pretreated children and young adults. Additionally, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), as well as feasibility and toxicity will be examined.
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 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.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as etoposide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well etoposide works in treating young patients with ependymoma.