Active clinical trials for "Brain Neoplasms"

In advanced cancer disease brain metastases are common, difficult to treat, and are associated with a poor prognosis. As new local and systemic therapies are eventually resulting in improved survival and quality of life for patients with brain metastases, negative neurocognitive effects of radiation therapy are becoming increasingly important as well as good loco-regional disease control of brain metastases. Concerning treatment, brain metastases remain a major clinical problem and a multidisciplinary approach to management should be adopted. Neurosurgical resection with postoperative whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is one major treatment option in solitary or symptomatic brain metastases. Furthermore, WBRT is recommended for multiple brain metastases. For a limited number of brain metastases stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been established as a highly effective treatment alternative. Recently, a new treatment approach combing neurosurgery with postoperative stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) of the resection cavity is emerging. Based on available evidence, postoperative SRT of the resection cavity improves local control following surgery, reduces the number of patients who require whole brain radiotherapy, and is well tolerated (1). This protocol is aimed at primarily evaluating the safety and toxicity profile of SRT to the resection cavity following neurosurgical resection combined with SRT of potentially further unresected brain metastases, compared to postoperative whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). Secondary, the local effect of SRT in patients with brain metastases will be assessed by measuring time to local recurrence (LR), local and loco-regional progression-free survival (PFS). Additional systemic treatment will be carried out according to the standards of the National Center for Tumor Therapy (NCT).

Project title: Influence of Vasopressors on Brain Oxygenation and Microcirculation in Anesthetized Patients with Cerebral Tumors Sponsor-investigator: Klaus Ulrik Koch M.D. Sponsor: Department of Anesthesia Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark Objective: To investigate whether phenylephrine and ephedrine causes different alterations in microcirculation and oxygenation, as measured with MRI and PET, in anesthetized patients with brain tumors. Using MRI and PET, the study will assess whether there is a difference in deoxyhemoglobin concentration (Bold signal), CTTH, cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) between ephedrine and phenylephrine Method: Double blinded controlled randomized clinical trial. Either phenylephrine or ephedrine are infused intravenously under general anesthesia. MRI is performed in 20 patients before and after infusion. PET/CT is performed in 20 patients before and after infusion. BIS and NIRS monitoring will be used in either scanner. After scanning patients are transported to the operating theatre and the craniotomy is performed. After removal of the bone flap subdural ICP is measured and recorded. MRI to analyze CBF, CTH, max.CMRO2, maxOEF, CBV and grey-scale ADC before and after ephedrine and phenylephrine. PET/CT to analyze CBF and CMRO2 before and after ephedrine and phenylephrine and calculation of OEF. During each PET/CT scan session oxygen saturation and hemoglobin concentration is measured. Data from the proposed studies will add substantial new knowledge to the investigators current understanding of the effects of vasopressors on cerebral circulation. This information will aid the neuroanesthesiologist, neurointensivist and the neurosurgeon in the choice of the optimal method to manage cerebral perfusion pressure during craniotomy for brain tumor.

This research study is studying an immunotherapy as a possible treatment for Glioblastoma.

RATIONALE: Stereotactic radiation therapy may be able to send x-rays directly to the tumor and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is study how well stereotactic radiation therapy works in treating patients with brain metastases

RATIONALE Fractionated radiotherapy uses high-energy photons to kill, or damage tumor cells. High daily dose temozolomide combined with fractionated radiotherapy may make tumor cells more sensible to treatment. PURPOSE This randomized phase II trial, assess in patients with brain metastases from solid tumors, whether the whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) plus temozolomide is able to improve the results obtained with WBRT.

This phase I clinical trial is studying the side effects and best dose of giving gamma-secretase inhibitor RO4929097 and cediranib maleate together in treating patients with advanced solid tumors. Gamma-secretase inhibitor RO4929097 and cediranib maleate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Cediranib maleate also may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

The purpose of this study is to learn more about imaging changes induced by a new therapeutic agent, bevacizumab with the standard steroid, dexamethasone in patients with high grade glioma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be used to evaluate the difference between the 2 treatments. The usual contrast agent (gadolinium) and an iron containing contrast agent called "ferumoxytol" may help us to evaluate the differences between bevacizumab and dexamethasone effects on imaging of a brain tumor called high grade glioma. For this purpose, after intravenous contrast agent injection, special MR scans (called: dynamic perfusion, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability measurement) will be performed to see the microvascular changes in the brain and tumor.

The goal of this clinical research study is to find the highest tolerable dose of DNX-2401 that can be injected directly into brain tumors and into the surrounding brain tissue where tumor cells can multiply. A second goal is to study how the new drug DNX-2401 affects brain tumor cells and the body in general.

RATIONALE: Temsirolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Studying samples of blood and tumor tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about how this treatment is used by the body. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using a microdialysis catheter to see what effect temsirolimus has on various biological substances associated with brain tumors over time.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn whether Tarceva (erlotinib hydrochloride), when given in addition to whole brain radiation therapy, is better to treat brain metastases in patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).