Active clinical trials for "Brain Neoplasms"

The purpose of this pilot study is to investigate the feasibility of an early palliative care intervention (PRESENCE: Providing Resources Education, Support, and Enabling New brain tumor patients to Cope Effectively) and the effect of the intervention on patient and caregiver distress.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs, such as lithium, may protect normal cells from the side effects of radiation therapy. Giving lithium together with radiation therapy may allow a higher dose of radiation therapy to be given so that more tumor cells are killed. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of lithium when given together with whole-brain radiation therapy in treating patients with brain metastases from primary cancer outside the brain.

Primary Objective: To determine the efficacy and tolerability of palonosetron and dexamethasone in preventing acute CINV in brain tumor patients during the first 24 hours of receiving Irinotecan /Bevacizumab regimens. Secondary Objective To determine the safety and tolerability of palonosetron in brain tumor patients. To determine the effects of glucocorticoid and anticonvulsants on the efficacy of palonosetron. To determine the efficacy of palonosetron and dexamethasone in preventing delayed CINV in brain tumor patients during days 2-5. To determine if patients receiving palonosetron have less fatigue than baseline.

To conduct a mixed-method Phase Ia Define Trial of caregivers' participation in CALM therapy with post-session surveys and individual exit interviews in order to evaluate suitability and adapt the CALM intervention to the needs of caregivers in neuro-oncology.

The patients carrying a complicated primary lung cancer brain metastases die in less than 3 months of delay disease in the absence of treatment. The median survival of these patients is approximately six months when the treatment associated with radiotherapy chemotherapy based on cisplatin is now the standard treatment. In most studies the patients die of their brain disease in one case only two, so it is likely that some patients do not require brain irradiation (prognosis in this case is linked to extra-cerebral disease ). The benefits for patients in group B (without systematic irradiation) are not to suffer the side effects of this radiation. The risks are in the same group to see brain metastases become symptomatic. The role of cerebral radiotherapy in the patients treated with chemotherapy is unclear: should all patients be irradiated systematically (since the "reference" treatment is involved and with the aim of obtaining better control of the brain lesions and maintaining a better neurological status) or should only the patients showing cerebral progression be irradiated (avoidance of possibly useless brain radiotherapy and its side effects). The aim of this study is to better determine the position of cerebral radiotherapy in this context. Main objective: determine whether there is a difference in terms of progression-free survival between a therapeutic strategy with initial systematic brain radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy cis-platine/alimta + / - Bevacizumab and strategy with an initial chemotherapy cis-platine/alimta + / - Bevacizumab associated with brain radiotherapy only in cases of cerebral progression in patients with NSCLC with asymptomatic brain metastases

This pilot clinical trial studies the feasibility and effectiveness of a new computer-based communication intervention in supporting distance caregivers of patients with advanced lung or brain cancer. Unlike local caregivers, distance caregivers often receive little, if any, professional support and have limited communication with the oncology team. Using a computer-based communication intervention to allow distance caregivers the opportunity to participate in a physician visit, have questions and concerns addressed, and meet members of the oncology team may help reduce stress.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the ketogenic diet on tumor size and quality of life in pediatric patients with malignant or recurrent/refractory brain tumors.

Toxicities related to pediatric cancer treatment can lead to significant illness, organ damage, treatment delays, increased health care cost, and decrease in quality of life. Such toxicities are largely due to tissue damage sustained by chemotherapy, and strategies designed to limit such cellular damage to normal tissues may reduce therapy-related morbidity and mortality. In addition to their in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer effects, naturally occurring soy isoflavones have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, and have been shown to reduce side effects of therapy in adult oncology clinical trials. This study will examine the effect of genistein, the major isoflavone component in soybeans and the most extensively studied of the soy isoflavones, on short-term side effects of myelosuppressive chemotherapy in pediatric cancer patients. Subjects will be randomized to receive either: a) 30 mg genistein daily throughout chemotherapy Cycles 1 and 2 and placebo during chemotherapy Cycles 3 and 4; or b) placebo daily during chemotherapy Cycles 1 and 2 and 30 mg genistein daily during chemotherapy Cycles 3 and 4. Investigators hypothesize that subjects will have fewer short-term therapy-related side effects during cycles of chemotherapy given in conjunction with genistein supplementation than cycles given with placebo.

In this feasibility study, [18F]dabrafenib will be used as radioactive tracer. All patients in this study are diagnosed with advanced melanoma with evidence of brain metastases and are eligible for treatment with dabrafenib, a specific V600-mutated BRAF inhibitor. Patients will undergo a dynamic PET scan of the brain to determine [18F]dabrafenib distribution and kinetics in brain metastases. In addition, a static total body PET scan will be performed to visualize whole body distribution and tracer uptake.

RATIONALE: Methylphenidate may decrease side effects of radiation therapy. It is not yet known if methylphenidate is effective in improving quality of life in patients with primary or metastatic brain tumors. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of methylphenidate in improving quality of life in patients who have brain tumors and are undergoing radiation therapy.