Active clinical trials for "Meningioma"

Background: The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surgery Branch has developed an experimental therapy for treating patients with cancer that involves taking white blood cells from the patient, growing them in the laboratory in large numbers, genetically modifying them, and then giving the cells back to the patient. In a previous study the NCI Surgery Branch used the anti-ESO-1 gene and a type of virus (retrovirus) to make these tumor fighting cells (anti-ESO-1 cells). About half of the patients who received this treatment experienced shrinking of their tumors. In this study, we are using a slightly different method of producing the anti-ESO-1 cells which we hope will be better in making the tumors shrink. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to see if these tumor fighting cells (genetically modified cells) that express the receptor for the ESO-1 molecule on their surface can cause tumors to shrink and to see if this treatment is safe. Eligibility: - Patients 15 years old and older with cancer that has the ESO-1 molecule on their tumors. Design: Work up stage: Patients will be seen as an outpatient at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical Center and undergo a history and physical examination, scans, x-rays, lab tests, and other tests as needed Leukapheresis: If the patients meet all of the requirements for the study they will undergo leukapheresis to obtain white blood cells to make the anti ESO-1 cells. {Leukapheresis is a common procedure which removes only the white blood cells from the patient.} Treatment: Once their cells have grown the patients will be admitted to the hospital for the conditioning chemotherapy, the anti-ESO-1 cells and aldesleukin. They will stay in the hospital for about 4 weeks for the treatment. Follow up: Patients will return to the clinic for a physical exam, review of side effects, lab tests, and scans about every 1-3 months for the first year, and then every 6 months to 1 year as long as their tumors are shrinking. Follow up visits take up to 2 days.

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.

Meningiomas account for 20% of primary adult brain tumors, occurring at an annual incidence of 6 per 100,000 (Louis, Scheithauer et al. 2000). Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice but may not possible when the tumor invades critical structures (e.g., skull base, sagittal sinus) (Mirimanoff, Dosoretz et al. 1985; al-Rodhan and Laws 1990; Al-Rodhan and Laws 1991; Newman 1994; De Monte 1995; Levine, Buchanan et al. 1999; Barnett, Suh et al. 2000; Ragel and Jensen 2003). Up to 20% of meningiomas exhibit a more aggressive phenotype that does not respond to standard therapies (Kyritsis 1996). Adjuvant therapies are critical for patients with this subset of meningiomas. Radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery are good adjuvant therapies but are limited by radiation neurotoxicity, tumor size constraints, and injury to adjacent vascular structures or cranial nerves (Goldsmith, Wara et al. 1994; Barnett, Suh et al. 2000; Goldsmith and Larson 2000). Standard chemotherapeutic treatments have been disappointing (Kyritsis 1996). Even drugs like temozolomide that have shown efficacy against malignant brain tumors have failed to inhibit the growth of refractory meningiomas in a phase II study (Chamberlain, Tsao-Wei et al. 2004).

RATIONALE: Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of interferon alfa in treating patients with recurrent unresectable meningiomas and malignant meningiomas.

Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of erlotinib in treating patients who have recurrent malignant glioma or recurrent or progressive meningioma. Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as hydroxyurea use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well hydroxyurea works in treating patients with unresectable benign meningioma.

The purpose of this study is to determine the best radiation dose for participants with meningioma that has grown back after previous surgery, or which the surgeon has been unable to remove completely. This research study is designed to determine whether a higher dose of radiation will decrease the likelihood that the tumor will grow back, compared to the probability of re-growth that occurs after standard radiation doses.

【Background】For cranial-irradiation-naive patients with intracranial meningiomas at risk of local recurrence, the administration of conformal cranial radiotherapy can enhance tumor control in the current era of modern radiotherapeutic techniques. Life expectancy in patients with intracranial meningiomas, particularly non-malignant meningiomas (WHO grade I and II) is essentially similar to people of general population. However, RT-related neurocognitive function (NCF) sequelae are potentially and seriously a concern which should not be ignored. In terms of the natural course of cranial irradiation-induced NCF decline, it might vary considerably according to the specific domains which are selected to be measured. Early neurocognitive decline principally involves impairments of episodic memory, which is significantly associated with functions of the hippocampus. Additionally, the extent of changes in hippocampal volume after local irradiation may be associated with the hippocampal dosimetry. This study thus aims to investigate the potential cause-effect relationship between the hippocampal dosimetry and radiological outcomes represented by the volumetric changes regarding the contralateral hippocampus; furthermore, the correlation between radiological outcomes and neurocognitive endpoints will be examined and clarified. 【Methods】Patients with cranial-RT-naive intracranial meningiomas may be eligible and therefore enrolled in this prospective study addressing both radiological outcomes and neurocognitive endpoints. All eligible and recruited patients should receive baseline volumetric brain MRI examination and baseline neurobehavioral assessment. Subsequently, conformal cranial irradiation in the era of modern radiotherapeutic techniques (including hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy volumetric modulated arc therapy) will be utilized in order to reduce the dose irradiating the contralateral hippocampus and other relevant organs at risk. The prescribed dose schemes for treating patients with intracranial meningioma depend on the decision of the radiation oncologist in charge and follow the treatment guidelines at our cancer center. Accordingly, a battery of neurocognitive measures, which includes 9 standardized neuropsychological tests categorized into 5 NCF domains (e.g., executive functions, verbal & non-verbal memory, working memory, psychomotor speed, and amygdala-related emotion recognition), is used to evaluate neurocognitive performances longitudinally for our registered patients. There will be two co-primary outcome measures in the current study. The main primary outcome will be the correlation between the mean hippocampal dose and the extent of change in hippocampal volume at 6 months after the course of cranial RT. The other primary endpoint will be 6-month cognitive-deterioration-free survival. 【Expected Results】This prospective observational cohort study aims to explore and investigate the cause-effect relationship between the hippocampal dosimetry (i.e., mean dose irradiating the hippocampus, particularly the one contralateral to the lateralization of intracranial meningioma) and the extent of hippocampal atrophy signifying one of the measures regarding radiological outcomes. Simultaneously, predefined standardized neurocognitive outcome measures such as hippocampus-related memory functions and amygdala-related emotion recognition will be obtained prospectively and longitudinally in order to examine whether any meaningfully significant correlation exists between the above radiological outcome measures and neurocognitive endpoints. The mutual associations among hippocampal dosimetry, radiological outcomes including the MRI-delineated hippocampal volume, and neurocognitive endpoints including hippocampus-related verbal/non-verbal memory functions will be examined thoroughly.

The purpose of this research study to determine if treating recurrent malignant gliomas with another person's (donor) immune system cells known as aCTL cells, will be safe. This study will also try to determine if persons who receive aCTL's are more or less likely to survive their brain tumor than persons who had similar tumors in the past. Approximately 15 patients will be enrolled at UCLA.

The aim of this study is to collect data on activity, toxicity and quality of life of trabectedin therapy in patients with recurrent high-grade meningioma.