Radiation Therapy Plus Gadolinium Texaphyrin in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Pancreas That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery
Pancreatic Cancer
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Pancreatic Cancer focused on measuring stage II pancreatic cancer, stage III pancreatic cancer, adenocarcinoma of the pancreas
Eligibility Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic or periampullary adenocarcinoma Patients may have evidence of hepatic or other intra-abdominal or systemic metastases if they have dominant symptomatology from the locally unresectable component of disease Prior treatment with 1 chemotherapy regimen required Palliative bypass procedures without resection allowed Bidimensionally measurable disease on CT or MRI scan PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 150,000/mm3 Hemoglobin at least 8.5 g/dL No history of G6PD deficiency Hepatic: SGOT or SGPT less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Alkaline phosphatase less than 2 times ULN Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL (elevated values must be falling or stable for at least 1 week prior to therapy) Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL (no clinical indication of compromised kidney) Other: Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception No second malignancy within the past 5 years, except: Resected superficial nonmelanomatous skin cancer Carcinoma in situ of the cervix No uncontrolled or serious medical conditions No active peptic ulcers No weight loss greater than 5% of ideal body weight within 30 days prior to study No uncontrolled nausea and vomiting No claustrophobia PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy No concurrent experimental biologic therapy Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy compromising the delivery of radiation on this study No prior radiotherapy to areas within the planned field of treatment Surgery: At least 4 weeks since prior gastrointestinal surgery Other: At least 4 weeks since prior experimental drugs No other concurrent experimental drugs
Sites / Locations
- Johns Hopkins Oncology Center