View clinical trials related to Pilocytic Astrocytoma.
Filter by:Recent advances in technology have allowed for the detection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA). cfDNA is tumor DNA that can be found in the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (called cerebrospinal fluid or CSF) and in the blood of patients with brain tumors. The detection of cfDNA in blood and CSF is known as a "liquid biopsy" and is non-invasive, meaning it does not require a surgery or biopsy of tumor tissue. Multiple studies in other cancer types have shown that cfDNA can be used for diagnosis, to monitor disease response to treatment, and to understand the genetic changes that occur in brain tumors over time. Study doctors hope that by studying these tests in pediatric brain tumor patients, they will be able to use liquid biopsy in place of tests that have more risks for patients, like surgery. There is no treatment provided on this study. Patients who have CSF samples taken as part of regular care will be asked to provide extra samples for this study. The study doctor will collect a minimum of one extra tube of CSF (about 1 teaspoon or 5 mL) for this study. If the patients doctor thinks it is safe, up to 2 tubes of CSF (about 4 teaspoons or up to 20 mL) may be collected. CSF will be collected through the indwelling catheter device or through a needle inserted into the lower part of the patient's spine (known as a spinal tap or lumbar puncture). A required blood sample (about ½ a teaspoon or 2 3 mL) will be collected once at the start of the study. This sample will be used to help determine changes found in the CSF. Blood will be collected from the patient's central line or arm as a part of regular care. An optional tumor tissue if obtained within 8 weeks of CSF collection will be collected if available. Similarities between changes in the DNA of the tissue that has caused the tumor to form and grow with the cfDNA from CSF will be compared. This will help understand if CSF can be used instead of tumor tissue for diagnosis. Up to 300 people will take part in this study. This study will use genetic tests that may identify changes in the genes in the CSF. The report of the somatic mutations (the mutations that are found in the tumor only) will become part of the medical record. The results of the cfDNA sequencing will be shared with the patient. The study doctor will discuss what the results mean for the patient and patient's diagnosis and treatment. There will not be any germline sequencing results reported and these will not be disclosed to the patient, patient's clinician or be recorded in patient medical record. Patient may be monitored on this study for up to 5 years.
This is a Phase 1b/2, multi-center, open label umbrella study of patients ≥12 years of age with recurrent, progressive, or refractory melanoma or other solid tumors with alterations in the key proteins of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, referred to as the MAPK pathway.
The primary objective of this Phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation, and exploratory study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability profile (establish the maximum-tolerated dose) and evaluate the occurrence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) following single weekly or multiple-day weekly dose regimens of single-agent, oral ONC206 in patients with recurrent, primary central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms.
Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are the most common brain tumors in children, and a subset of these tumors are treated definitively with focal radiation therapy (RT). These patients often survive for many years after receiving RT and experience late deficits in memory. Verbal recall is an important measure of memory and is associated with other important functional outcomes, such as problem-solving, independence of every-day functioning, and quality of life. Decline in memory, as measured by verbal recall, is associated with RT dose to the hippocampi. Therefore, this phase II study investigates the feasibility of reducing RT doses to the hippocampi (i.e., hippocampal avoidance [HA]) by using proton therapy for midline or suprasellar LGGs. Primary Objective: - To determine the feasibility of HA with proton therapy in suprasellar or midline LGGs. Feasibility will be established if 70% of plans meet the first or second dose constraints shown below. 1. First priority RT dose constraints for bilateral hippocampi: volume receiving 40 CGE (V40CGE) ≤ 25%, dose to 100% of Hippocampus (D100%) ≤ 5CGE. 2. Second priority RT dose constraints for bilateral hippocampi: V40CGE ≤ 35%, D100% ≤ 10 CGE. Secondary Objectives: - To estimate the 3-year event-free-survival (EFS) for LGGs treated with HA. - To estimate the change in California Verbal Learning Test short-term delay (CVLT-SD) from baseline to 3 years and from baseline to 5 years - To compare CVLT-SD and Cogstate neurocognitive scores in patients with proton therapy plans that: (1) meet first priority RT dose constraints, (2) meet second priority RT dose constraints but not first priority RT dose constraints, and (3) that did not meet either first or second RT priority dose constraints Exploratory Objectives: - To describe the change in overall cognitive performance from baseline to 3 years and from baseline to 5 years with an age appropriate battery, including gold standard measures shown in the published studies to be sensitive to attention, memory processing speed and executive function that will afford comparison to historical controls. - To characterize longitudinal changes in connection strength within brain networks in the first 3 years after proton therapy and to investigate associations between these changes and neurocognitive performance with focus on the hippocampi. - To correlate the distribution and change in L-methyl-11C-methionine positron emission tomography (MET-PET) uptake to tumor progression and from baseline to 3 years and to investigate whether cases of pseudoprogression exhibit a differential pattern of uptake and distribution compared to cases of true progression after controlling for histology. - To investigate the effect of BRAF alteration, tumor histology and tumor location on PFS and OS in a prospective cohort of patients treated in a homogenous manner. - To investigate whether the methylation profiles of LGGs differ by tumor location (thalamic/midbrain vs. hypothalamic/optic pathway vs. others) and histologies (pilocytic astrocytoma vs. diffuse astrocytoma vs. others), which, in conjunction with specific genetic alterations, may stratify patients into different subgroups and highlight different therapeutic targets. - To record longitudinal measures of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma and correlate these measures with radiographic evidence of disease progression. - To bank formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE)/frozen tumors and whole blood from subjects for subsequent biology studies not currently defined in this protocol. - To quantify and characterize tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and to characterize the epigenetics of T cells and the T cell receptor repertoire within the tumor microenvironment. - To estimate the cumulative incidence of endocrine deficiencies, vision loss, hearing loss and vasculopathy after proton therapy and compare these data to those after photon therapy.
A roll-over study to assess long-term effect in pediatric patients treated with dabrafenib and/or trametinib.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the activity of dabrafenib in combination with trametinib in children and adolescent patients with BRAF V600 mutation positive low grade glioma (LGG) or relapsed or refractory high grade glioma (HGG)
By employing a combination of advanced MRI techniques and correlative serum biomarkers of blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption, the investigators plan to develop a powerful, first of its kind clinical algorithm in pediatrics whereby the investigators can measure and identify the window of maximal BBB disruption post MLA to 1) allow for an alternative to surgery in incompletely resected tumors, 2) allow for optimal chemotherapeutic dosing to achieve the greatest benefits and the least systemic side effects and 3) distinguish subsequent tumor progression from long-term MLA treatment effects. Preliminary data in adult imaging studies have shown that the BBB disruption lasts for several weeks following treatment before returning to a low baseline. This pilot therapeutic study will provide preliminary validation in pediatric patients.
This is a study to determine the safety and efficacy of the drug, mebendazole, when used in combination with standard chemotherapy drugs for the treatment of pediatric brain tumors. Mebendazole is a drug used to treat infections with intestinal parasites and has a long track record of safety in humans. Recently, it was discovered that mebendazole may be effective in treating cancer as well, in particular brain tumors. Studies using both cell cultures and mouse models demonstrated that mebendazole was effective in decreasing the growth of brain tumor cells. This study focuses on the treatment of a category of brain tumors called gliomas. Low-grade gliomas are tumors arising from the glial cells of the central nervous system and are characterized by slower, less aggressive growth than that of high-grade gliomas. Some low-grade gliomas have a more aggressive biology and an increased likelihood of resistance or recurrence. Low-grade gliomas are often able to be treated by observation alone if they receive a total surgical resection. However, tumors which are only partially resected and continue to grow or cause symptoms, or those which recur following total resection require additional treatment, such as chemotherapy. Due to their more aggressive nature, pilomyxoid astrocytomas, even when totally resected, will often be treated with chemotherapy. The current first-line treatment at our institution for these low-grade gliomas involves a three-drug chemotherapy regimen of vincristine, carboplatin, and temozolomide. However, based on our data from our own historical controls, over 50% of patients with pilomyxoid astrocytomas will continue to have disease progression while on this treatment. We believe that mebendazole in combination with vincristine, carboplatin, and temozolomide may provide an additional therapeutic benefit with increased progression-free and overall survival for low-grade glioma patients, particularly for those with pilomyxoid astrocytomas. High grade gliomas are more aggressive tumors with poor prognoses. The standard therapy is radiation therapy. A variety of adjuvant chemotherapeutic combinations have been used, but with disappointing results. For high-grade gliomas this study will add mebendazole to the established combination of bevacizumab and irinotecan to determine this combinations safety and efficacy
Background: - AZD6244 is an experimental drug designed to prevent tumor growth and shrink existing tumors. It has been studied in adults with cancer, but it has not been studied in children with cancer. Researchers want to see if AZD6244 is a safe and effective treatment for older children and young adults who have gliomas (brain tumors) that have not responded to standard treatments. Objectives: - To test the safety and effectiveness of AZD6244 in older children and young adults who have gliomas that have not responded to standard treatments. Eligibility: - People between 12 and 21 years of age who have gliomas that have not responded to standard treatments. Design: - Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical exam. They will also have blood tests and tumor imaging studies. Those in the study may also have their spinal fluid tested to see whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the nervous system. - Participants will take AZD6244 as a capsule. It must be swallowed whole on an empty stomach twice a day for 28 days. Those in the study will have up to 13 cycles (4 weeks each) of treatment (1 year). - Participants will keep a diary to record doses taken and any side effects of the treatment. - Participants will have frequent blood tests and imaging studies.