Active clinical trials for "Astrocytoma"

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vorinostat when given together with temozolomide in treating young patients with relapsed or refractory primary brain tumors or spinal cord tumors. Vorinostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Vorinostat may help temozolomide work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug.

Background: Growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) provides many tumors, including brain tumors, with needed nutrients and oxygen for cancer cells to survive. One possible treatment for different kinds of cancer involves treatment with drugs that slow or stop angiogenesis and prevent further tumor growth. Vandetanib is an oral medication known to block angiogenesis and has shown significant antitumor activity in laboratory and animal studies. Vandetanib appears to be well tolerated by patients at specific daily doses. Carboplatin is a drug that interrupts division of cancer cells and has been shown to be a useful drug in treatment of tumors known as gliomas. It is a useful drug for treating brain tumors, but researchers are interested in gathering more information about how it works as a treatment for patients who have not responded to initial surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Objective: - To determine the safety and effectiveness of vandetanib and carboplatin, given together or sequentially, against recurrent high-grade gliomas. Eligibility: - Adults diagnosed with a malignant glioma who have received standard treatments that no longer appear to be effective. Design: Patients will be assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 patients (combination group) will receive oral vandetanib for 28 days and intravenous (IV) carboplatin (once at the beginning of the 28-day cycle). Group 2 patients (sequential group) will receive IV carboplatin alone (once at the beginning of the 28-day cycle) and then oral vandetanib (300 mg daily) for 28 days if the tumor grows or the patient develops unacceptable carboplatin toxicity. Treatment will continue in 28-day cycles for 1 year for both groups. Patients will undergo a number of tests and procedures during the treatment cycle, including physical examinations, routine laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans At the end of 1 year of treatment, patients will be reevaluated for possible continuation of drug therapy.

This is a pilot vaccine study in adults with recurrent WHO Grade II gliomas. The purpose of this study is to test the safety and efficacy of an experimental tumor vaccine made from peptides in combination with the study drug Poly-ICLC. Poly-ICLC, manufactured by Oncovir, Inc., has already been received and is generally well tolerated by subjects in earlier studies and has been shown to decrease the size of brain tumors in some cases. The immunological and safety data will be used to decide whether a larger study of clinical efficacy is warranted.

This phase II trial studies how well bendamustine hydrochloride works in treating patients with anaplastic glioma or glioblastoma that has come back (recurrent) or growing, spreading or getting worse (progressive). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as bendamustine hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and potential efficacy of Gene Mediated Cytotoxic Immunotherapy for malignant gliomas. The approach used an adenoviral vector (disabled virus) engineered to express the Herpes thymidine kinase gene (aglatimagene besadenovec, AdV-tk), followed by an antiherpetic prodrug, valacyclovir. The AdV-tk vector was injected into the resection bed after standard tumor surgery and valacyclovir pills were taken for 14 days. Standard radiation and chemotherapy were administered which have been shown to work cooperatively with AdV-tk + prodrug to kill tumor cells. The hypothesis is that this combination therapy can be safely delivered and will lead to improvement in the clinical outcome for patients with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas, including glioblastoma multiforme (WHO grade IV) and anaplastic astrocytomas (WHO grade III).

Objectives: To determine the maximum tolerated dose of oral topotecan when administered with Temodar to patients with malignant glioma To characterize any toxicity associated with the combination oral topotecan and Temodar. To observe patients for clinical antitumor response when treated with oral topotecan and Temodar.

This phase II trial studies how well cilengitide works in treating younger patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade glioma that has not responded to standard therapy. Cilengitide may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

This is a single center Phase I study to determine the safety and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with allogeneic brain tumor stem cells administered as a vaccination in children and adults with recurrent brain tumors. Once the MTD has been determined, we will conduct a phase II study to determine efficacy. Clinical trials that utilize DCs for immunotherapy have demonstrated significant survival benefit for patients who exhibit robust immune responses against tumor cells. Unfortunately, at the present time the majority of tumor patients are unable to mount an adequate immune response and thus succumb to their tumors. We postulate that the inability to generate an appropriate immune response in these patients is due to a lack of sufficient numbers of appropriate T cells due to an inadequate source of tumor antigens.

BIBF 1120 is a newly discovered compound that may stop cancer cells from growing abnormally. This drug is currently being used in treatment for other cancers in research studies and information from those other research studies suggests that this agent, BIBF 1120, may help to stop recurrent malignant glioma cells from multiplying and it may also prevent the growth of new blood vessels at the site of the tumor. In this research study, the investigators are looking to see how well BIBF 1120 works in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas.

This phase II trial is studying how well giving bevacizumab together with irinotecan works in treating young patients with recurrent, progressive, or refractory glioma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, or low grade glioma. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of glioma by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as irinotecan, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving bevacizumab together with irinotecan may kill more tumor cells.