Active clinical trials for "Brain Neoplasms"

To assess the response of melanoma with brain metastases to ipilimumab treatment while maintaining acceptable tolerability.

Combidex (ferumoxtran-10) is an ultra-small iron oxide particle covered with a sugar coating. It has been evaluated as an MRI contrast agent for use in imaging well perfused organs such as the liver and spleen and for imaging lymph nodes. In this study, Combidex is being used to compare the standard imaging agent, Gadolinium, in imaging brain tumors and the area adjacent to the tumor location. Combidex may provide the ability to better see brain tumors and inflammatory lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Combidex may be useful in its ability to cross blood vessels into brain tumors, and because of its size and ability to get into the area next to brain tumors, could assist in the treatment of brain tumors with other drugs in the future.

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).

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of bevacizumab, etoposide and cisplatin in treating breast cancer patients with central nervous system metastasis (including brain parenchymal and leptomeningeal metastasis).

The best dose of radiation to be given with bevacizumab is currently unknown. This study will use higher doses of radiation with bevacizumab than have been used before. This study will test the safety of radiation given at different doses with bevacizumab to find out what effects, good and/or bad, it has on the patient and the malignant glioma or related brain cancers.

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of 2B3-101 both as single agent and in combination with trastuzumab. Furthermore, the study will explore the preliminary antitumor activity of 2B3-101 as single agent in patients with with solid tumors and brain metastases or recurrent malignant glioma as well as in patients with various forms of breast cancer with and in combination with trastuzumab in HER2+ breast cancer patients with brain metastases.

Purpose of Study This exploratory clinical study will investigate FMISO (fluoromisonidazole) in patients with (1) newly diagnosed primary malignant brain tumors (WHO [World Health Organization] Grade III or IV glial-based tumors) who have not had a complete surgical resection and by contrast MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) have residual tumor > 1.0 cm in diameter and will be receiving radiotherapy or (2) newly diagnosed brain metastasis (> 1.0 cm in diameter who will be receiving radiotherapy. The ability to accurately assess tumor hypoxia and accurately determine the amount/degree of tumor hypoxia could potentially change patient management once validated as tumor hypoxia is known to be associated with a poor prognosis [Eyler 2008].

This open-label, single-arm, multicenter study will evaluate the efficacy and safety in participants with metastatic melanoma who developed brain metastases. Participants may or may not have received prior systemic treatment for metastatic melanoma [except treatment with v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitors]. Participants will receive oral doses of 960 mg vemurafenib twice daily until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity or consent withdrawal.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the stereotactic, MR guided, laser interstitial thermal therapy treatment technique can be safety and efficiently used for human brain metastasis and primary brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Lapatinib ditosylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving lapatinib ditosylate together with capecitabine may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving lapatinib ditosylate together with capecitabine works in treating patients with stage IV breast cancer and brain metastases.