View clinical trials related to Neoplasm.
Filter by:This study will examine the safety and toxicities of intravenously administering a genetically modified type of Salmonella bacteria (VNP20009) and its impact on tumor growth in advanced or metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread from the primary site). The first patients in the study will be given the smallest dose of VNP20009, and those who enter later will receive increasingly larger doses. This will be done to determine the maximum dose that can be given without serious side effects. Normally, Salmonella bacteria ingested in food or water can cause diarrhea or more severe illness. The bacteria in this study are altered genetically so they can be injected through a vein and circulate in the blood with less likelihood of causing side effects. It is believed that the bacteria will travel in the blood to the tumor and infect it. In studies of mice, tumor growth slowed in animals whose tumors were infected with VNP0009. Patients with advanced or metastatic cancer 18 years of age or older whose disease is not responding to standard treatment, or for which there is no treatment, may be eligible for this study. Candidates will undergo a medical history and physical examination, including blood tests, scans, X-rays, electrocardiogram, and urine, stool and blood cultures. Study participants will be admitted to the hospital for 2 to 4 days. On day 1, they will receive the first dose of VNP0009, infused over a 30-minute period through an intravenous catheter (a small plastic tube inserted into a vein). Blood will be drawn every day to determine if the bacteria are still in the body. After discharge, patients will return to the hospital on days after approximately 1-2 weeks and again after 4-5 weeks for additional blood tests to measure levels of the bacteria and for collection of blood, urine and stool samples. Patients whose tumors are on or just beneath the skin may be asked to have one or two tumors removed surgically. Patients will have tests after approximately 4-5 weeks, including CTs and X-rays, to determine the size and extent of the tumor. Patients whose tumor remained the same size or smaller than before starting treatment, and whose side effects were acceptable will be offered a second treatment cycle. Those whose tumor grew during treatment will be taken off the study. Patients remaining in the study will begin the second cycle on approximately day 36. Tumor growth will be evaluated again between days 64 and 70, and a third cycle will be offered to patients whose tumors have remained stable or have shrunk. Patients may have up to 12 treatment cycles as long as evaluations continue to show the tumor is stable or shrinking. Completing all 12 cycles takes about 13 months. Patients will continue to be evaluated after treatment ends, if they agree to continued follow-up. Patients must follow health precautions to prevent infecting others with Salmonella bacteria as long as they, themselves, remain infected. These include, for example, stringent hand washing practices and avoiding contact with people with weakened immune systems. All the precautions will be explained to the study participants. Patients who leave the study must take antibiotic therapy to rid the body of any remaining bacteria. They will return for urine, stool and blood cultures 30 days after the start of antibiotics, and may undergo three types of scans to look for sites of infection. Treatment will be given as needed.
Oxaliplatin is an experimental anti-cancer drug that can shrink tumors such as colon cancer. However, because this drug can damage the kidneys, it is necessary to determine what doses of the drug can safely be given to patients with poor kidney function. Patients with advanced cancer, poorly functioning kidneys, and no good standard treatment options are eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with imaging tests, such as CT and MRI scans, to determine the size and location of the cancer and with blood and urine tests to evaluate kidney and liver function. Study participants will receive oxaliplatin intravenously (through a vein) every 3 weeks for as long as the cancer is under control and there are no serious side effects from the drug. If significant side effects develop, the dosage will be reduced, or the drug will be stopped. Blood tests to measure blood cell counts will be done at least once a week, and CT scans, chest X-rays, and MRIs will be done about once every 6 weeks to assess the tumor's response to the treatment. Additional blood tests will be done at the beginning of the first two treatment cycles to measure the amount of oxaliplatin in the blood, and urine will be collected during the first 24 hours of drug treatment to determine how much drug is eliminated by the body in urine.
Simultaneous use of alternative or complementary medical therapies by cancer patients undergoing conventional medical treatment is extremely common and may not always be disclosed to the patient's treating physician. Cancer patients undergoing Phase I therapy on clinical trials constitute a special population of patients, since by definition, their prescribed therapy is scientifically unproven in terms of efficacy. Phase I patients are closely monitored for adverse effects in order to identify and characterize the toxicities and to define a tolerable dose of their experimental treatment. Thus, the unrecognized use of alternative therapies by patients actively enrolled in phase I trials may potentially confound rational drug development by causing adverse side effects or by contributing to drug interactions. Examples of clinical toxicities induced by alternative medical treatments include liver dysfunction or renal failure caused by herbal preparations, or hematologic abnormalities, such as eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome caused by tryptophan food supplements. Therefore, it is important to document and determine the prevalence of alternative therapy use in this specific patient population; however, this issue has not previously been examined in a scientifically rigorous manner. We propose to conduct a survey and interview study of phase I cancer patients enrolled in ongoing clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute to determine the prevalence of alternative therapy use in this population. This study will also examine patient attitudes and perceptions regarding their use of alternative therapy as compared with their scientifically-sanctioned phase I experimental therapy. This information has important implications for drug development.
Acquisition of fresh tumor and normal tissue samples are necessary for the preparation of cDNA libraries, microarray chips, and tissue specific probes, and proteomics development and validation. This protocol will allow acquisition of samples at the time of tissue sampling for surgery, diagnostic tests, or therapeutic phereses. These samples will be forwarded without patient identifiers, pathology reports, or other labels. Tissue pathology will be verified within the Laboratory of Pathology and samples used strictly for CGAP and Proteomic Initiative indications.
Patients undergo chemotherapy until remission is obtained, or disease has been stable for two cycles of chemotherapy, or progressive disease develops. Three to six months after completion of chemotherapy, patients who have achieved complete clinical remission or minimal disease status receive a series of 5 injections (given 1-2 months apart) of a vaccine consisting of 0.5 mg autologous tumor-derived immunoglobulin (Id) conjugated to KLH. The vaccine is administered with subcutaneous QS-21 as an immunological adjuvant....
We propose to conduct a multifactorial genetic study of cancer risk-related behaviors and other complex human characteristics. The main areas of interest are tobacco smoking, excess alcohol consumption, psychological traits, and HIV/AIDS susceptibility and progression. The subjects will be adult male and female probands who display one or more of the phenotypes of interest together with their brothers, sisters and parents. Information on tobacco and alcohol use, psychological and personality traits, sexual behavior, HIV status and progression, and other characteristics with possible genetic components will be obtained through structured interviews and questionnaires. DNA will be prepared from blood samples and typed for a series of candidate genes chosen for function and for random polymorphic markers. By correlating the genotypic and phenotypic information, we hope to identify individual loci that interactively contribute to many different aspects of human health and disease.
This is a dosage escalation study to estimate the maximum tolerated dose of staurosporine analogue UCN-01. Groups of 3 to 6 patients receive a 72-hours intravenous continuous infusions of UCN-01 from day 1 to day 4 of each cycle the first cycle only, and over 36-hours on subsequent cycles. The side effects are allowed to disappear for up to 28 days. This cycle is repeated after evaluations and follow-ups, which are every 4 weeks, as long as the patient benefits.
Thymidylate synthase (TS), an enzyme which acts by utilizing 5,10-CH(2)FH(4) in the reductive methylation of deoxyuridylate (dUMP), is required for the de novo synthesis of thymidylate and is a potential chemotherapeutic target. ZD1694 is a new quinazolone folate analog that directly inhibits TS. This phase I trial and pharmacokinetic study will describe and define the toxicities, determine the MTD, and describe the plasma pharmacokinetics of ZD1694 in pediatric patients with refractory cancer. The starting dose for this trial will be 2.0 mg/m(2) administered as a 15 minute IV infusion every 21 days.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) will be collected from patients who have leukemia or lymphoma or other medical conditions involving altered lymphohematopoietic stem cell or immunological function. These PBMC will be assessed for cellular markers by flow cytometry and will be studied for in vitro T helper, effector and suppressor cell functions, to determine whether cell mediated immunity is involved in the condition, or indicative of therapeutic efficacy or is predictive for outcome. Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) from untreated donors and from cytokine treated donors will be assessed for cellular markers and in vitro growth characteristics that might be useful for identifying normal stem cell populations.
The use of a suction blister apparatus has facilitated study of the immunologic capacity of human epidermal cells. We have been able to prepare purified populations of these cells after blister formation. Specifically, using the blister tops, we are able to enrich for epidermal Langerhans cells which are very potent stimulators in antigen presenting assays. Thus, this normal volunteer study provides an important source of fresh epidermal tissue from which we can study normal epidermal Langerhans cell function. In addition, we have recently used blister roofs in important experimental models of HIV-1 transmission. There is no other method available for assessing the biologic function of freshly isolated Langerhans cells without altering their milieu. It is a very safe and effective way to obtain human epidermal samples.