Active clinical trials for "Brain Neoplasms"

This research study is evaluating the effectiveness of the drug called cabozantinib (alone or in combination with trastuzumab) as a possible treatment for advanced breast cancer in which the cancer has spread to the brain.

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a drug called temsirolimus in combination with a drug called perifosine in treating brain tumors that have continued to grow after previous treatment. Temsirolimus is an intravenous drug approved by the FDA for treatment of other cancers (kidney cancer, certain types of lymphoma) but not for brain tumors. Perifosine is a pill that has not been approved by the FDA which blocks a messenger that tells cancer cells to grow. Research suggests that combined treatment with both drugs is better than either alone, and that it is reasonably safe.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of STAT3 inhibitor WP1066 in treating patients with malignant glioma that has come back or melanoma that has spread to the brain and is growing, spreading, or getting worse. STAT3 inhibitor WP1066 may stop the growth of tumor cells and modulate the immune system.

Background: Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive type of malignant brain tumor. The drug pazopanib is used to treat people with a type of kidney cancer. Topotecan is used to treat lung cancer. Both topotecan and pazopanib have individually been used to treat patients with glioblastoma and some anti-tumor activity has been found. Researchers want to see if these two drugs together may be able to help people with glioblastoma. Objectives: To learn if pazopanib with topotecan can help control glioblastoma. Also, to study the safety of this drug combination. Eligibility: Adults at least 18 years old whose glioblastoma has returned after treatment. Design: Participants will be screened with: Medical history Physical exam Blood and urine tests Brain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) For these, participants lay in a machine that takes pictures. Chest CT scan or x-ray Heart electrocardiogram (EKG) A questionnaire about quality of life Participants will be assigned to a study group. Participants will take the study drugs for 28-day cycles for up to 1 year. They will take capsules of topotecan by mouth once every day. They will take tablets of pazopanib by mouth once every day. Participants will write in a diary the times they take the study drugs. Participants will have several study visits during each cycle. These may include Blood pressure measurement Blood and urine tests EKG Physical exam and/or neurological exam Brain MRI or CT scan to check the status of the disease A symptom questionnaire At the end of treatment, participants will have a physical exam. They may have blood drawn. Participants will have follow-up calls once every 3 months to check.

This study is for patients up to 21 years of age who have a tumor called a low grade glioma of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). The tumor has grown despite attempts to control it with chemotherapy or radiation. Low grade gliomas are a group of tumors that tend to grow slowly and could be cured if every bit of the tumor were surgically removed. These tumors are called Grade I or II astrocytomas. These tumors often grow in parts of the brain that prevent total removal without devastating neurologic complications or death. Although some low grade gliomas never grow, most will and are treated with either chemotherapy or radiation. There is good data showing that the growth of most low grade gliomas can be controlled with chemotherapy or radiation. However, some low grade gliomas in children and young adults grow despite these treatments. Poly-ICLC is a new drug that has been used safely in children and adults with different types of brain tumors. Earlier studies showed that this drug worked better for children and young adults with low grade gliomas than for children with more aggressive brain tumors. The main purpose of this study is to use Poly-ICLC treatment in a larger number of patients to see how well it works and how many side effects occur. As Poly-ICLC is not FDA approved, this study is authorized to use it under Investigational New Drug (IND)# 43984, held by Oncovir. Subjects will get injections of Poly-ICLC into muscle two times weekly. The first treatments will be given in the clinic so allergic or other severe reactions, if any, can be monitored. If subjects tolerate the injections and don't have a severe reaction, then the rest of the injections will be given at home. Subjects/caregivers will be trained to give injections. Treatment will last for about 2 years. Subjects may stay on treatment for longer than 2 years if their tumor shrinks in response to the injections, if study doctors think it is safe, if subjects want to remain on treatment, and if Poly-ICLC is available. Risks: Poly-ICLC has been used safely in children and adults at the dose used in this study, and at higher doses. Frequently seen side effects include irritation of the skin at the injection site and mild flu-like symptoms. These are usually relieved or avoided by use of over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen (Tylenol).

RATIONALE: Bafetinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This clinical trial studies bafetinib in treating patients with recurrent high-grade glioma or brain metastases.

This open-label study will assess the safety and efficacy of RO5185426 in previously treated metastatic melanoma patients with brain metastases. Patients will receive RO5185426 at a dose of 960 mg twice daily orally until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs.

Background: Cisplatin and carboplatin are standard cancer treatment drugs used for various childhood cancers, including brain tumors. Both drugs frequently have severe side effects that may reduce their effectiveness, particularly in children, and new treatments are needed that may be similarly effective but less toxic for cancer patients. Satraplatin is an experimental drug, similar to cisplatin and carboplatin, that has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Satraplatin has been shown to treat cancer by interfering with genetic material (DNA) in cancer cells. Some adults with cancer who have received satraplatin had slowing of the growth or shrinkage of their tumor. Researchers are interested in determining whether satraplatin can be effective for cancers that occur in children. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of satraplatin as a treatment for children and young adults who have solid tumors that have not responded to standard treatment. To study the effects of satraplatin on the body in terms of side effects and blood chemistry. To examine the effect that genetic variations may have on the effectiveness of satraplatin. Eligibility: - Children, adolescents, and young adults between 3 and 21 years of age who have solid tumors (including brain tumors) that have not responded to standard treatment. Design: Participants will be screened with a full physical examination and medical history, blood tests, and tumor imaging studies. Participants will receive satraplatin pills to be taken every day in the morning for 5 consecutive days, with no food for 2 hours before or 1 hour after the dose. Participants will then have 23 days without the drug to complete a 28-day cycle of treatment. Participants will also receive medication to prevent nausea and vomiting 30 minutes before the first dose of satraplatin. Following the first dose of satraplatin, medication for nausea will be given if needed. Satraplatin doses will be adjusted based on response to treatment, including potential side effects. Participants will have frequent blood tests and imaging studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment and monitor any side effects, as well as hearing tests and other examinations as required by the study researchers. Participants will receive satraplatin every 4 weeks for up to 2 years until serious side effects occur or the tumor stops responding to treatment.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving the drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of implanted carmustine wafers in treating patients who have brain metastases and who are undergoing surgery to remove the tumor.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of suramin in treating patients with recurrent primary brain tumors following radiation therapy.