View clinical trials related to Recurrent Rectal Carcinoma.
Filter by:This phase II trial studies how well capecitabine and celecoxib with or without radiation therapy works in treating patients with colorectal cancer that is newly diagnosed or has been previously treated with fluorouracil, and has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Celecoxib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving capecitabine and celecoxib together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.
The purpose of this study is to determine if a new drug, RO4929097, can work with cetuximab, a drug already approved for colorectal cancer, to help fight the patient's cancer. Cancers arise as a result of abnormal control of gene expression. One of the pathways that gets abnormally regulated in some cancers is the Notch pathway. RO4929097 is an investigational drug that blocks the activation of the Notch pathway. It is hoped that by blocking this abnormal activation, this drug may be helpful in patients with cancer but the investigators do not yet know if that is true. Cetuximab is an antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor and is known to have activity in metastatic colorectal cancer. Recent studies have shown that people with colorectal cancers that contain a mutation in a gene called K-ras do not benefit from receiving cetuximab. It is unknown if adding RO4929097 to cetuximab would benefit patients who have tumors with this mutation.
This randomized phase II trial studies how well radiation therapy and capecitabine with or without curcumin before surgery works in treating patients with rectal cancer. Drugs such as curcumin may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving chemotherapy with radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. It is not yet known whether chemotherapy and radiation therapy is more effective with or without curcumin when given before surgery in patients with rectal cancer.