View clinical trials related to Skin Cancer.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to evaluate native tissue optical properties and photosensitizer optical properties in vivo with a novel, non-contact optical imaging device call Modulated Imaging to help optimize the laser exposure in future photodynamic treatment for patients with skin cancer. Photodynamic therapy involves the administration of a tumor-localizing photosensitizing agent that, when illuminated with the proper wavelength of light, can result in photochemical processes that cause irreversible damage to tumor tissues. Photodynamic therapy is non-invasive and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of skin cancer while producing excellent aesthetic appearance and psychological well-being in patients that normally would require invasive excisions.
This will be a study where all patients will undergo a two-step procedure: Step 1 - Physicians examine the problem area of skin ONLY and record result. Step 2 - Physicians perform TBSE and record result. Eventual lesions suggestive of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers will be recorded after step 1 or step 2 examination and will be finally biopsied and histopathologically diagnosed. Exceptions to biopsy may include patients with multiple non-melanoma skin cancers (e.g. actinic keratoses or basal cell carcinomas). Each center will be provided with an electronic data sheet for patients record, or alternatively, with a paper record form. Endpoints of the study are new parameters concerning the standard of care for skin cancer screening. We expect to conclude that TBSE enables clinicians discovering an increased number of skin cancers thus resulting in earlier detection.
The purpose of the potential research study participant registry is to keep potential research subjects informed about any future research studies in which they may meet the criteria for enrollment. The purpose of this study is also to assist current and future clinical trials with recruitment of subjects.
Background: This study uses a new experimental procedure for treating melanoma that uses the patient's own lymphocytes (type of white blood cell), which are specially selected to target and destroy their tumor. Objectives: To determine whether this experimental treatment can cause the patient's tumor to shrink. To test the safety of the treatment and its effects on the immune system. Eligibility: Patients with metastatic melanoma 18 years of age and older for whom standard treatments are not effective or who cannot take high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2). Patients must have the tissue type human leukocyte antigens (HLA-A)0201. Design: Workup: Patients have scans, x-rays, laboratory tests, and other tests as needed. Patients have leukapheresis (a procedure for collecting lymphocytes that is similar to collecting whole blood) to collect cells for laboratory treatment and later reinfusion. Chemotherapy: Patients have low-dose chemotherapy for 1 week to prepare the immune system to receive the cultured lymphocytes. Cell infusion and IL-2 treatment: Patients receive the lymphocytes by infusion through a vein and then either high-dose IL-2 infused through a vein or low-dose IL-2 injected under the skin. High-dose IL-2 is given as infusions through a vein every 8 hours for up to 15 doses. Low-dose IL-2 is given as injections under the skin daily for 5 days, followed by a 2-day rest, with this regimen repeated for a total of 5 weeks. Recovery: Patients rest for 1 to 2 weeks to recover from the effects of chemotherapy and IL-2. Tumor biopsy: Patients may be asked to have a biopsy (removal of a small piece of tumor) after receiving treatment to look at the effects of treatment in the tumor. Follow-up: After treatment is completed, patients return to the clinic for physical examinations, review of side effects, laboratory tests and scans every 1 to 6 months until the disease worsens. Retreatment: Patients whose tumor did not grow after treatment or showed evidence of shrinking may be able to be retreated if their tumor begins to grow. They receive the same regimen of chemotherapy, lymphocyte infusion and IL-2 treatment....
The incidence of malignant melanoma has increased dramatically in recent decades. In 1930, the lifetime risk of an individual in the United States developing melanoma was 1 in 1,500. This has been exponentially increasing over the years with the risk estimated to be 1 in 75 in 2000 . According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 59,580 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2005 and about 7,770 people are expected to die of the disease.
Background: - Melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells (MART)-1 is a protein present in melanoma cells. - An experimental procedure developed for treating patients with melanoma uses the anti-MART-1 F5 gene and a type of virus to make special cells called anti-MART-1 F5 cells that are designed to destroy the patient's tumor. These cells are created in the laboratory using the patient's own tumor cells or blood cells. - The treatment procedure also uses a vaccine called plaque purified canarypox vector (ALVAC) MART-1, made from a virus that ordinarily infects canaries and is modified to carry a copy of the MART-1 gene. The virus cannot reproduce in mammals, so it cannot cause disease in humans. When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it stimulates cells in the immune system that may increase the efficiency of the anti-MART-1 F5 cells. Objectives: -To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of anti-MART-1 F5 and the ALVAC vaccine in treating patients with advanced melanoma. Eligibility: -Patients 18 years of age with metastatic melanoma for whom standard treatments have not been effective. Design: - Patients undergo scans, x-rays and other tests and leukapheresis to obtain white cells for laboratory treatment. - Patients have 7 days of chemotherapy to prepare the immune system for receiving the anti-MART-1 F5. - Patients receive the ALVAC vaccine, anti-MART-1 F5 cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2) (an approved treatment for advanced melanoma). The anti-MART-1 F5 cells are given as an infusion through a vein. The vaccine is given as injections just before the infusion of anti-MART-1 F5 cells and again 2 weeks later. IL-2 is given as a 15-minute infusion every 8 hours for up to 5 days after the cell infusion for a maximum of 15 doses. - After hospital discharge, patients return to the clinic for periodic follow-up with a physical examination, review of treatment side effects, laboratory tests and scans every 1 to 6 months.
Background: - gp100 is a protein that is often found in melanoma tumors. - An experimental procedure developed for treating patients with melanoma uses anti-gp100 cells designed to destroy their tumors. The anti-gp100 cells are created in the laboratory using the patient's own tumor cells or blood cells. - The treatment procedure also uses a vaccine called plaque purified canarypox vector (ALVAC) gp100, made from a virus that ordinarily infects canaries and is modified to carry a copy of the gp100 gene. The virus cannot reproduce in mammals, so it cannot cause disease in humans. When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it stimulates cells in the immune system that may increase the efficiency of the anti gp 100 cells. Objectives: -To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of anti-gp100 cells and the ALVAC gp100 vaccine in treating patients with advanced melanoma. Eligibility: -Patients with metastatic melanoma for whom standard treatments have not been effective. Design: - Patients undergo scans, x-rays and other tests and leukapheresis to obtain white cells for laboratory treatment. - Patients have 7 days of chemotherapy to prepare the immune system for receiving the gp100 cells. - Patients receive the ALVAC vaccine, anti-gp100 cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2) (an approved treatment for advanced melanoma). The anti gp100 cells are given as an infusion through a vein. The vaccine is given as injections just before the infusion of gp100 cells and again 2 weeks later. IL-2 is given as a 15-minute infusion every 8 hours for up to 5 days after the cell infusion for a maximum of 15 doses. - After hospital discharge, patients return to the clinic for periodic follow-up with a physical examination, review of treatment side effects, laboratory tests and scans every 1 to 6 months.
There are two goals of this research study. First, we hope to develop a plan to guide family discussions that can help parents diagnosed with lung cancer talk about cancer risk with their adult children. Second, we want to understand how families talk about cancer prevention.
The goal of this study is to find out if some people are more likely to get melanoma, a form of skin cancer, than others are. To do this we will compare people who have had more than one melanoma to people who have had only one melanoma and to people who are similar but who have not developed melanoma. People respond to the environment in different ways. Some may be born with genes that make them more likely to get this type of skin cancer. Each person has many ways to repair normal damage to their genes. Specific genes may affect the repair of sun damage. Other genes affect the way the skin itself reacts to the sun. We want to find out which genes have normal changes in them and lead to different responses to exposures, such as the sun. We also want to find out if sun habits are related to the way these genes work.
In this study, we want to find out how likely it is for temozolomide to shrink melanoma tumors that have spread only to areas that could be removed by surgery. We also want to study the melanoma before and after temozolomide treatment to learn why some tumors respond and others do not. This is a Phase II trial. This means that it will test a drug - in this case, temozolomide -- that has already been studied and shown to be safe. Surgery, when possible, is the main treatment for patients with melanoma like yours. In most people, however, melanoma cells have already spread to other places in the body. This means that even with surgery, many people will have the melanoma come back. This is often fatal. One goal of this trial is to treat the melanoma cells that might have spread before they have a chance to grow. As part of this trial, we also study which genes are turned on and which genes are turned off in your tumor. We will obtain tumor from the biopsy done before you started temozolomide treatment and from the tumor removed during the surgery done after you finish temozolomide treatment. This may help us understand how temozolomide works and how to recognize which tumors will respond. Before and during the temozolomide treatment, we will also test a new way of measuring the amount of tumor present. This involves a special way of analyzing the CT scan which you will have anyway. This new technique may allow us to see tumor shrinkage very early in the treatment course.