View clinical trials related to Melanoma Stage III or IV.
Filter by:Investigation of the metabolic activity of sorafenib and sorafenib plus dacarbazine on melanoma metastasis in patients with melanoma stage III or IV on the basis of PET/CT, LDH and S-100 evaluation. As we hypothezise a direct influence on the transcriptome by these drugs via antiproliferative or apoptotic signals, biopsies of melanoma skin metastases will be assessed with microarrays and direct changes will be revealed. If positive effects on the transcriptional profiles of metastases are revealed, patients with metastatic melanomas would benefit from these drugs resulting in tumor regressions. Therefore, a total of 12 patients with skin- or superficial lymph node metastases with a diameter of at least 1 cm will be chosen for sorafenib therapy over 56 days per os twice daily with each 400 mg and, additionally, on day 14 and 42, intravenous dacarbazine infusion (volume depending on the body surface area (1000 mg/m2)). Before treatment with sorafenib, before treatment with dacarbazine, and after treatment, S100 and LDH will be measured in serum, PET/CT will be conducted and biopsy will be taken out of one skin metastasis on the same day.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are the professional antigen-presenting cells of the immune system. As such they are currently used in clinical vaccination protocols in cancer patients, and both immunological and clinical responses have been observed. For these therapies accurate delivery to target organs is essential. Correct delivery and subsequent migration of vaccinated DCs to regional lymph nodes is of paramount importance for effective stimulation of the immune system. Currently it is not known what the best route of administration is for DC vaccines. Using magnetically labeled DCs, we investigate the potential of MRI cell tracking to monitor DC therapy. This is investigated in stage III/IV melanoma patients in whom a regional lymph node dissection is scheduled. Autologous monocyte-derived DCs are labeled with the clinically approved superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) formulation Endorem and 111In-oxine and injected either in the skin or directly in lymph nodes under ultrasound guidance. Two days after vaccination patients are monitored with scintigraphy and MR imaging. Lymph nodes are then resected. Subsequently patients receive 3 more vaccination with DCs. During and after therapy immune responses against the used melanoma peptides are monitored.
Dendritic cells (DCs)are the most potent antigen-presenting cells of the immune system, as such they are able to direct the immune system specifically against cancer cells. Currently DCs are used in clinical vaccination studies and immunological and clinical responses have been observed. For inducing anti-tumor immunity, the DCs have to be loaded with tumor antigen (i.e. molecular structures that are presented by the tumor, that are recognized by the immune system). Currently most studies use tumor peptides (small protein fragments) for this purpose. This approach has several disadvantages: only patients with a certain HLA-type can be treated and the immune response that is induced by the vaccine is limited to the used peptides. These disadvantages do not exist when the DCs present antigen which is endogenously processed, for example after RNA transfection. For this reason we investigate the immunogenicity of DCs that are pulsed with peptides or transfected with mRNA encoding melanoma associated antigens in stage III and IV melanoma patients.