View clinical trials related to Esophageal Cancer.
Filter by:Background: - Recent research has shown that causing an immune response to tumor cells may help slow or stop the growth of tumors. One treatment that has come from this research involves collecting and modifying a cancer patient's tumor cells in the laboratory, then returning the cells to the patient as a vaccine to encourage the immune system to respond to them. Researchers are interested in testing tumor cell vaccines with an experimental drug called ISCOMATRIX , which can be added to a vaccine in order to elicit a stronger immune response in the body. ISCOMATRIX has not been approved for sale and use in any country and its use is still experimental, though it has been tested and used safely in other clinical studies. Researchers are also interested in determining whether the anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib will improve the body's immune reaction if given with the vaccine. Objectives: - To assess the safety and effectiveness of tumor cell vaccines given with ISCOMATRIX and celecoxib in the treatment of lung and esophagus cancers. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have primary small cell or non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, or pleural mesothelioma that can be removed by surgery. - Only individuals whose tumor cells are able to produce a tumor cell line for vaccine development will be eligible for treatment. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical examination and medical history, and will have tumor tissue collected during their surgery to determine whether the tumor cells can be used to produce a vaccine. - Participants will take celecoxib twice daily for 7 days before having the first tumor cell vaccination. Participants will also have leukapheresis to collect blood cells for testing before the first vaccination. - Participants will receive one vaccine (which may be given in two shots) monthly for 6 months, and will continue to take celecoxib twice daily. One month after the 6th vaccine shot, participants will have another leukapheresis and skin test. If these tests show that a participant is responding to the vaccine, additional vaccines will be given every 3 months for up to 2 years. - Participants will have a physical exam and lab tests before each vaccination, blood samples and imaging studies every 3 months, and a skin test every 6 months. - Participants will have regular followup visits with imaging studies and blood samples for up to 5 years after the first vaccination, or until a new tumor develops.
Background: - Certain types of lung, esophageal, or thymic cancers and mesotheliomas have specific antigens (protein molecules) on their surfaces. Research studies have shown that giving a vaccine that contains antigens similar to these may cause an immune response, which may keep tumors from growing. Researchers are also interested in determining whether the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide and the anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib may help the vaccine work better, particularly in patients with lung cancer. Objectives: - To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of tumor cell vaccines in combination with cyclophosphamide and celecoxib in patients with cancers involving the chest. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have had surgery for small cell or non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymoma or thymic carcinoma, and malignant pleural mesothelioma. Design: - Following recovery from surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, participants will have leukapheresis to collect lymphocytes (white blood cells) for testing. - Participants will receive celecoxib and cyclophosphamide to take twice a day at home, 7 days before the vaccine. - Participants will have the vaccine in the clinical center (one or two shots per month for 6 months), and will stay in the clinic for about 4 hours after the vaccine. Participants will keep a diary at home of any side effects from the vaccine, and will continue to take cyclophosphamide and celecoxib. - One month after the sixth vaccine, participants will provide another blood sample for testing, and if the tests are satisfactory will return to the clinic every 3 months for 2 additional vaccines. - Participants will return to clinic for follow-up physical examinations, lab tests, and scans every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for up to 3 years.
The goal of this research study is to learn if a new type of PET scan (18F-FLT) can help to better detect changes of tumor growth rate (or how active) in esophagus cancer and lung cancer Researchers will study at what time during treatment the 18F-FLT PET scan should be given to get the best results. A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is a type of scan that uses a radioactive solution to locate cancer cells inside the body. Using the PET scan, doctors can locate solid tumors and collect information about how "active" the cancer cells are. For this study, a new type of solution, [F-18]-fluoro-L-thymidine (FLT), will be used. FLT can detect actively growing tumor, and researchers hope that FLT may be able to help provide information about how well esophagus cancer treatment is working. This information could be used to help predict if the cancer will respond to treatment. All enrolled subjects will receive PET/CT imaging at pre-Neoadjuvant Therapy and post-3 weeks Neoadjuvant Therapy (3 weeks from the start of Neoadjuvant Therapy) prior to the surgery. At each time of the PET/CT procedure, the subject will receive an injection of FLT which is an investigational pharmaceutical labeled with radioactive fluorine. 45-60 mines after the FLT injection, the scan will be performed. Each scan might take 10-15 minutes. Participation in this pilot study will not change the patients normal chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and surgery recommended the patients physician as parts of their standard of care.
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.
RATIONALE: Gathering information from patients who received treatment for metastatic cancer while participating in a phase II or phase III randomized clinical trial and from patients receiving standard treatment off-trial may help doctors learn more about the psychological and emotional results of being in a clinical trial. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is comparing the psychological and emotional impact of participating in a randomized clinical trial with the impact of standard treatment in patients with metastatic cancer.
This study is to determine whether intraperitoneal (IP) Floxuridine is effective in the patients with advanced stomach or gastro-esophageal junction cancers in the treatment consisting of pre- and post-surgery chemotherapies.
To determine whether biomarkers assessed in blood samples can be used to detect individuals at risk for developing blood clots or worsening of their underlying disease. The ultimate goal of the study is to identify key biomarkers derived from blood that are most characteristic and informative of individuals who will go on to develop a clotting complication.
The aim of this study is the evaluate the feasibility and safety of chemotherapy induction treatment combined with cetuximab followed by chemoradiotherapy combined with cetuximab in the treatment of patients with non-metastatic esophageal cancer.
RATIONALE: Vandetanib 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. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin and docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether vandetanib is more effective than a placebo when given together with oxaliplatin and docetaxel in treating advanced cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction. PURPOSE: This randomized phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vandetanib when given together with oxaliplatin and docetaxel and to see how well it works in treating patients with advanced cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction.
To determine whether sorafenib is able to change pre-cancerous cells in a way that we believe is important in the progression of cancer.