View clinical trials related to Skin Cancer.
Filter by:Knowledge gap: Does the choice of anaesthetic affect outcome for cancer surgery? Aim: To retrospectively examine possible associations (Cox Multiple Regression) between survival from breast-, colorectal-, or skin cancer and the choice of hypnotic used during surgery, ahead of a prospective randomised controlled trial. Hypotheses: One- and five-year survival will be significantly higher after radical breast-, colorectal-, or skin cancer surgery in patients given the intravenously administered hypnotic propofol than in patients given the inhalational hypnotic sevoflurane. Method: To merge two registers, of which one holds demographic- anaesthetic-, and surgical data from 6 303 patients operated on at the three mentioned anatomical locations at the Central Hospital in Vasteras, Sweden during a twelve year period (1998-2009). Of these minimum 4 500 operations would be due to cancer. This register is unique, in that it contains both types of anaesthesia. The other register holds survival data (date and cause of death), stored at the Regional Oncologic Center in Uppsala. The choice of anaesthetic will be validated by controlling each patient's anaesthetic paper file, concomitantly with extraction of details from anaesthesia and surgery, such as the functional classification of each patient (according to American Association of Anesthesiologists), co-morbidity, duration of anaesthesia and surgery, amount of blood loss and possible transfusion. Current knowledge: Different anaesthetics have opposite effects on the immune system and on the DNA. There is a well-established association between the state of the immune system and cancer growth, which in turn will influence survival. There is also an association between DNA damage and cancer development. Inhalational anaesthetics, e.g. sevoflurane, act pro-inflammatory, and they are also proven to be genotoxic. Propofol is anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative, and it is not genotoxic. Objective: Strengthen the hypotheses, and get statistics for a proper power calculation in advance of a multi-centre, prospective, randomised, controlled trial. Impact: General anaesthesia is an indispensable part of radical cancer surgery. Undesired effects from anaesthesia on survival has strong relevance for the over all cancer treatment.
The goal of this study is to test a protocol that uses clinical pictures, confocal reflectance microscopy images and dermoscopic information in a telemedicine platform. This protocol will test the technologies and diagnostic performance of dermoscopy and confocal reflectance microscopy in a randomized prospective multicenter study in five different centers in Europe.
Background: - Researchers have developed an experimental cancer treatment called cell therapy. White blood cells called lymphocytes are taken from a tumor, grown in large numbers in the lab, and then given back to the patient. Interleukin-15, given to the patient after the cells (now called Young tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of Young TIL cells) are replaced, helps the cells to grow and boosts the immune system. This process changes your normal cells into cells that are able to recognize your tumor has been studied in the lab. These cells can destroy tumor cells in the test tube, but scientists want to see if they work inside the body. Objectives: -To test the effectiveness of lymphocytes drawn from tumor cells combined with interleukin-15 in treating metastatic melanoma. Eligibility: - Patients must be 18 - 66 years of age and have a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma. - They will have heart and lung function tests, lab tests, and imaging procedures. - Patients may not have conditions such as active systemic infections, blood clotting disorders, or other active major medical illnesses. - Patients may not be pregnant or nursing.
Background: - Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are white blood cells that have been taken from tumor tissue. The cells are modified to help them kill tumor cells, then given back to the person with cancer. By giving these cells to patients, researchers hope to improve the current treatments available for patients with melanoma that has not responded to standard therapies. The TIL will be given after treatments that will suppress the immune system. This makes it easier for the TIL to attack the cancer cells. The TIL will also be given with aldesleukin (IL-2), which is designed to help keep the TIL cells alive in the body. Objectives: - To study the safety and effectiveness of specially modified tumor infiltrating lymphocytes to treat melanoma that has not responded to other treatments. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have metastatic melanoma that has not responded to other treatments. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will also have blood tests and imaging studies. - A piece of tumor will be collected and white blood cells will be separated to make the TIL for the treatment. - Participants will take drugs to suppress the immune system for 7 days before the start of treatment. - Participants will receive the TIL in a single dose. Then they will receive IL-2 every 8 hours for up to 15 doses. Participants will remain in the hospital for up to 2 weeks after treatment. They will be monitored with frequent blood tests and other studies. - After leaving the hospital, participants will have regular followup visits every 1 to 4 months for the first year. Then they will return for followup every 3 to 4 months, as directed by the study researchers.
The investigators are conducting a study to provide evidence about the comparative effectiveness of mailed, tailored intervention materials on cancer prevention behavioral outcomes. The investigators will send out three (3) tailored mailings for participants who are assigned to the intervention group. Second, during the eligibility screening, the investigators will be assessing the relative yield and functioning of two risk assessment tools (BRAT and FEARS) on determining an individual's level of risk for skin cancer.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are very small endogenous RNA molecules about 22-25 nucleotides in length, capable of post-transcriptional gene regulation. miRNAs bind to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to cleavage or suppression of target mRNA translation based on the degree of complementarity. miRNAs have recently been shown to play pivotal roles in diverse developmental and cellular processes and linked to a variety of skin diseases and cancers. In the present study, the investigators examines the expression profiles of the microprocessor complex subunit DGCR8 and the RISC components TARBP1, TARBP2, argonaute-1, argonaute-2 and PACT in epithelial skin cancer and its premalignant stage.
Background: - An experimental treatment for metastatic melanoma involves cell therapy, in which researchers take white blood cells (lymphocytes) from the tumor tissue, grow them in the laboratory in large numbers, and then use the cells to attack the tumor tissue. Before receiving the cells, chemotherapy is needed to temporarily suppress the immune system to improve the chances that the tumor-fighting cells will be able to survive in the body. In some studies of cell therapy, individuals who have received total body irradiation (TBI) in addition to the chemotherapy (in order to increase the length of time that they do not produce white blood cells) seem to have a slightly better response to the treatment, but it is not known if adding radiation to the cell therapy will cause a better response for all individuals. Researchers are interested in comparing cell therapy given with the usual chemotherapy to cell therapy given with the usual chemotherapy and TBI. Objectives: - To compare the effectiveness of cell therapy given with chemotherapy to cell therapy given with chemotherapy and total body irradiation in individuals with metastatic melanoma. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical examination, medical history, blood tests, and tumor imaging studies. - Participants will be divided into two groups: cell therapy with chemotherapy alone (group 1) or cell therapy with chemotherapy plus TBI (group 2). - All participants will provide a tumor sample from either surgery or a tumor biopsy for white blood cell collection. - Participants will have leukapheresis to collect additional white blood cells for cell growth and future testing, and TBI group participants will also provide stem cells to help them recover after radiation. (TBI participants who cannot provide enough stem cells will be moved to the non-radiation treatment group.) - Participants will have chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (two treatments over 2 days) and fludarabine (five treatments over 5 days) starting 7 days before the cell therapy. Participants in the TBI group will also have TBI for the 3 days immediately before the cell therapy. - All participants will receive the white blood cells, followed by high-dose aldesleukin every 8 hours for up to 5 days after the cell infusion to help keep the therapy cells alive and active. Participants will also have injections of filgrastim to stimulate blood cell production, and participants in the TBI group will also receive their stem cells. - Participants will take an antibiotic for at least 6 months after treatment to prevent pneumonia, and will be asked to return for regular monitoring and followup visits for at least 5 years to evaluate the tumor s response to treatment.
Background: - One experimental treatment for certain types of cancer is cell therapy, which involves collecting lymphocytes (white blood cells) from a tumor, growing them in the laboratory in large numbers, and then modifying the cells with a gene (interleukin-12 (IL-12)) that stimulates the immune system to attack and destroy the cancer cells. Because this treatment is experimental, researchers are interested in determining the side effects and overall effectiveness of cell therapy using white blood cells modified with IL-12 as a treatment for aggressive cancer. Objectives: - To determine the safety and effectiveness of cell therapy using IL-12 modified tumor white blood cells to treat metastatic melanoma. Eligibility: - Individuals greater than or equal to 18 years of age and less than or equal to age 66 who have been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. Design: - Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, blood and urine tests, and imaging studies. - Cells for treatment will be collected during tumor biopsy or surgery. - Prior to the start of cell therapy, participants will have imaging procedures, heart and lung function tests, and blood and urine tests, as well as leukapheresis to collect additional white blood cells. - For 5 days before the cell infusion, participants will be admitted for inpatient chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine to suppress the immune system in preparation for the cell therapy. - Participants will receive the modified white blood cells as an infusion 1 to 4 days after the last dose of chemotherapy. The day after the infusion, participants will receive filgrastim to stimulate blood cell growth. - Participants will remain as inpatients for at least 5 to 10 days to recover from the treatment, and will be followed regularly after the treatment to study side effects and general effectiveness. - Participants who initially respond to treatment but have a relapse may have one additional treatment using the same procedure.
Objectives: The objective of this study is to develop a valid and reliable measure of the symptom burden experienced by patients with cancer experiencing disease-related skin problems and to delineate this burden over time. The Primary Aim is to develop and validate an M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) module (the MDASI-Derm), compliant with FDA standards for patient-reported outcomes (PROs), to measure the severity of multiple symptoms and the impact of these symptoms on daily functioning in patients with cancer-related skin problems. We hypothesize that the MDASI-Derm will be valid and reliable for measuring the severity of multiple symptoms and the impact of these symptoms on daily functioning in patients with cancer-related skin problems. The Secondary Aims are: 1. to develop a detailed description of the severity and interference with daily activities of symptoms experienced by patients with cancer-related skin problems; 2. to assess the impact of symptom severity on standard function and quality of life (QOL) measures including both quantitative (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] Performance Status, single-item QOL, and Skindex-16 scales) and qualitative measures (patient interviews); 3. to evaluate the MDASI-Derm as an estimate of functional status and QOL in patients with cancer-related skin problems; 4. to identify common clusters of symptoms and symptom patterns occurring over multiple measurement time points in patients with cancer-related skin problems; 5. to define the qualitative symptom experience of patients with cancer-related skin problems; 6. to explore the feasibility of the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system in measuring symptom severity and interference with daily activities over time in patients with cancer-related skin problems.
We hope to determine the importance of different genes (including B receptors) in anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy. This has important benefits to patients exposed to anthracyclines, as this could help determine whether certain individuals have increased susceptibility to cardiac injury.