Active clinical trials for "Brain Neoplasms"

NovoTTF-100A is a device and Bevacizumab is a study drug that have both been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for use as monotherapy in treating glioblastoma multiforme. The NovoTTF-l00A is a portable battery operated device which produces TTFields within the human body using surface electrodes (transducer arrays). Intermediate frequency electric fields (TTFields) stunt the growth of tumor cells. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of the combination of Bevacizumab and NovoTTF-100A in Bevacizumab naive (meaning have never received bevacizumab before) patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) as measured by 6-month progression free survival.

The incidence of brain metastases (BM) in metastatic breast cancer is increasing, due to the improvement in the control of systemic disease, and due to an improved detection through imagery. The treatment management of single BM remains controversial. Indeed, even though it is widely accepted that local treatment increases the median survival time in patients having a good prognostic status, the adding of "adjuvant" whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is currently subject to controversy, due to its potential toxicity. Yet, two randomized trials have demonstrated a clear increase in intra-cerebral recurrence and in death from neurologic origin in case of absence of "adjuvant" WBRT, without change in overall survival (but overall survival was not a primary endpoint in any of these studies). The data from literature on cognitive toxicity (CT) of WBRT on BM are scarce and sometimes controversial. CT of WBRT affects the subcortical frontal functions. It is postulated that the alteration of hippocampal neurogenesis (mainly due to inflammation process), situated in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus, has an essential role in the development of these brain dysfunctions. It has been shown that the incidence of BM in the hippocampal region (hippocampus + 5mm expansion) is low, in the range of 8,6%. New irradiation techniques, in particular intensity-modulated radiotherapy associated with rotational radiotherapy, allow to modulate the dose on an intra-cerebral structure, all the while distributing an adapted dose to the remaining brain. This prospective, randomized study, will compare, through a battery of neuropsychological tests, the cognitive impact of WBRT of 40 Gy in 20 fractions with or without hippocampal avoidance by intensity modulated radiotherapy, in patients presenting with a single operated brain metastasis of breast cancer. If the hippocampal avoidance leads to a significant improvement in cognitive function, this radiotherapy scheme could become the standard postoperative treatment to be proposed to patients presenting the best prognostic factors. This would allow to prevent long-term cognitive deficit, while preserving WBRT benefit on intra-cerebral control. Justification of evaluation criteria : Principal criteria : Evaluation criteria to assess cognitive toxicity have been selected on the basis of the recommendations from C. Meyers and P. Brown, who propose an adapted test battery to evaluate memory, verbal function, visual and motor coordination, and executive function. The selected tests have been validated, also in French. They comprise HVLT-R (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised), COWAT (Controlled Oral Word Association Test), Grooved Pegboard test, TMT A and B (Trailmaking tests A and B), and MMSE. The calculation of patient numbers was based on the HVLT-R test, as memory is thought to be the most frequently affected domain. The tests will be performed before treatment ("baseline" cognitive function), at 4 months and at 12 months. In case of a missing answer to the evaluation tests, the reason(s) for not answering will be noted. Secondary criteria : Quality of life : QLQ-C30, QLQ-BN20, ADL, IADL Intra-cerebral Progression-free survival (PFS) Overall survival.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the tolerability and safety of escalating doses of metformin on a backbone of vincristine, irinotecan and temozolomide (VIT) in children with recurrent and refractory solid tumors.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best schedule of vaccine therapy with or without sirolimus in treating patients with cancer-testis antigen (NY-ESO-1) expressing solid tumors. Biological therapies, such as sirolimus, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells mixed with tumor proteins may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells that express NY-ESO-1. Infusing the vaccine directly into a lymph node may cause a stronger immune response and kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether vaccine therapy works better when given with or without sirolimus in treating solid tumors.

This multicenter, 2-stage, open-label, phase II trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of dacomitinib in adult patients with recurrent Glioblastoma (GBM) with EGFR gene amplification and/or EGFRvIII mutation.

The aim of this study is to explore the efficacy and toxicity of icotinib combined with WBRT in treating patients with multiple brain metastases from NSCLC.

This pilot clinical trial compares gadobutrol with standard of care contrast agents, gadopentetate dimeglumine or gadobenate dimeglumine, before dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing patients with multiple sclerosis, grade II-IV glioma, or tumors that have spread to the brain. Gadobutrol is a type of contrast agent that may increase DCE-MRI sensitivity for the detection of tumors or other diseases of the central nervous system. It is not yet known whether gadobutrol is more effective than standard of care contrast agents before DCE-MRI in diagnosing patients with multiple sclerosis, grade II-IV glioma, or tumors that have spread to the brain.

Vitamin D has been shown to impact prognosis in a variety of retrospective and randomized clinical trials within an intensive care unit (ICU) environment. Despite these findings, there have been no studies examining the impact of hypovitaminosis D in specialized neurocritical care units (NCCU). Given the often significant differences in the management of patients in NCCU and more generalized intensive care units there is a need for further inquiries into the impact of low vitamin D levels in this specific environment. This study proposes a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, single center evaluation of vitamin D supplementation in the emergent NCCU patient population. The primary outcome will involve length-of-stay for emergent neurocritical care patients. Various secondary outcomes, including in-hospital mortality, ICU length-of-stay, Glasgow Outcome Score on discharge, complications and quality-of-life metrics. Patients will be followed for 6 months post-discharge.

Tools for improving brain tumor surgery, in particular for gliomas, are increasing. There seems to be an agreement that achieving extensive resections, when done safely without jeopardizing neurological function, improves survival. Ultrasound is currently used as a tool for providing 2D or 3D images for tumor localization and resection control. For the use in resection control the resection cavity is filled with saline to provide acoustic coupling between the ultrasound transducer and tissue. However, attenuation of acoustic waves is very low in saline compared to the brain and this difference in attenuation is the cause of artifacts that may severely degrade the ultrasound images. Such artifacts are seen as high-intensity signal at the resection cavity wall and beyond. The artificial signal enhancement can potentially mask small tumor remnants and is generally making the interpretation of images more difficult. This research group has developed an acoustic coupling fluid intended for use in the resection cavity instead of saline. Tests in laboratory measurements have shown that the fluid reduces artifacts and has the potential to enhance ultrasound image quality in brain tumor surgery. Three different concentrations of the acoustic coupling fluid have been tested in a phase 1 study that included 15 patients with glioblastoma. The concentration that provided the optimal ultrasound images, from qualitative and quantitative inspection, is used in the current phase II study. This study is a randomized controlled trial aiming to include 82 patients with glial brain tumours. Its purpose is to test the fluid during surgery of glial brain tumours to further investigate safety and efficacy.

Vitamin D is a hormone mainly synthesized in the skin in the presence of sunlight. Like other hormones, vitamin D plays a role in a wide range of processes in the body. Some studies have shown vitamin D has anti-inflammatory effects in the body by reducing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressing T-cell responses. Therefore, vitamin D may be effective on reduce pain by such mechanisms. In this trial patients with brain tumor under craniotomy will receive a single high dose vitamin D compared to the control group.