Active clinical trials for "Brain Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving radiation therapy during surgery is more effective than standard radiation therapy in treating brain metastases. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of radiation therapy with or without radiosurgery in treating patients with brain metastases that cannot be removed during surgery.

RATIONALE: Current therapies for adults with persistent or recurrent brain tumors provide very limited benefit to the patient. The anti-cancer properties of Antineoplaston therapy suggest that it may prove beneficial in the treatment of adults with persistent or recurrent brain tumors. PURPOSE: This study is being performed to determine the effects (good and bad) that Antineoplaston therapy has on adults with persistent or recurrent brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and deliver radioactive tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. This may be effective treatment for primary or metastatic brain tumors. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients with primary or metastatic brain tumors.

Standard treatment for patients with diffuse pontine tumors is radiation therapy, but less than 10% of patients are cured. Adding standard chemotherapy has not improved the cure rate. Standard treatment for high-grade astrocytomas is surgery and radiation. The surgeon removes as much of the tumor as she or he can. Radiation after that tries to kill any cancer cells that are left. Some patients also get chemotherapy. These are anti-cancer drugs. They can be given during or after radiation. Current standard treatments do not cure many patients. In this study the doctors are adding a new medication called cetuximab to the treatment and will also use a chemotherapy medication (irinotecan) that has been promising for patients treated for recurrent disease.

What is the efficacy and safety of q 30 minutes vs. q 1hour glucose sampling and intervention for an intensive insulin protocol to achieve and maintain euglycemia in non-diabetic patients undergoing craniotomy? The investigators hypothesize that in non-diabetic patients undergoing craniotomy, monitoring glucose and modifying insulin infusions every 30 minutes compared to every hour will help them reach target glucose levels faster and maintain them more efficiently with the same insulin protocol.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the surgical intervention and insertion of GLIADEL wafers on the neurocognitive functioning in patients with metastatic brain cancer.

This study is a multinational study to compare enzastaurin versus placebo in the treatment of patients with brain metastases of lung cancer. Approximately 108 patients will be randomly assigned to receive either enzastaurin or placebo after having completed whole brain radiotherapy.

The purpose of this study is to determine the antitumor activity of PPX in combination with temozolomide and radiation for patients with newly diagnosed brain tumors.

The protocol is designed to determine the efficacy of temozolomide in preventing the development of new brain metastases within the first year in patients undergoing stereotactic radiation for newly diagnosed brain metastases.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of temozolomide on a protracted schedule, after standard 5-day temozolomide regimen in patients with recurrent or progressive high grade glioma.