Active clinical trials for "Kidney Neoplasms"

This phase I clinical trial is studying the side effects and best dose of veliparib and gemcitabine hydrochloride when given with cisplatin in treating patients with advanced biliary, pancreatic, urothelial, or non-small cell lung cancer. Veliparib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and gemcitabine hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. Veliparib may help cisplatin and gemcitabine hydrochloride work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drugs.

Partial nephrectomy (kidney removal) is a standard therapy for clinical T1 renal (kidney) tumors. The goals of surgery are to accurately remove the tumor with no cancer cells at the edge of the remaining tissue, to limit blood loss, and preserve kidney function. The most common technique is to clamp the blood supply to the entire kidney during removal and to surgically repair the tumor bed with suture and agents to stop bleeding. This stops the blood supply to the entire kidney including the healthy tissue, which can cause damage to the remaining tissue due to a shortage of oxygen if left clamped too long. This study uses a microwave pre-coagulation technique using the Certus 140™ to facilitate a bloodless area near the tumor for accurate tumor removal and repair, while avoiding clamping the blood supply, but its effect on the function of kidney adjacent to tumor is unknown. If adequate stoppage of bleeding is achieved using the Certus 140™ with minimal heat spreading to the remaining tissue, clamping and a shortage of oxygen can be avoided. The hypothesis is that microwave pre-coagulation is a safe method for providing the stoppage of bleeding during partial kidney removal.

This pilot clinical trial studies vaccine therapy before surgery in treating patients with kidney cancer that has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body. Vaccines made from a person's tumor cells and white blood cells may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells when they are infused back into the body.

Background: One way tumors are able to grow is by forming new blood vessels that supply it with nutrients and oxygen. Vandetanib (ZD6474) is an experimental drug that blocks certain proteins on the surface of tumor and blood vessel cells that are involved with the formation of new blood vessels. Blocking these proteins may prevent the tumor cells or blood vessels from continuing to grow. Objectives: To determine whether vandetanib can cause tumors to shrink or stabilize in patients with advanced kidney cancer. To determine how vandetanib may work in people with kidney cancer and to develop tests that may be helpful in studying kidney cancer. Eligibility: -Patients 18 years of age or older with advanced clear cell kidney cancer whose disease has worsened after treatment with one or more of the following drugs: sunitinib, sorafenib, interleukin-2 and temsirolimus; or patients who have had to stop treatment with these drugs due to unacceptable side effects; or patients who are unable to receive standard treatment. Design: Patients take a vandetanib pill once a day in 28-day cycles. Patients are followed in the clinic every 2 weeks during the first month of treatment and then every 4 weeks for a physical examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram and a review of any drug side effects. Patients have imaging scans (computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) about every 8 weeks to monitor tumor growth. MRI scans are also done to look at tumor blood flow when treatment begins, 24 hours after the first dose of treatment, and again about 4 and 8 weeks after starting treatment Optional tumor biopsies (surgical removal of a sample of tumor tissue) may be done before starting vandetanib treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment to look for drug effects on the tumor.

Background: - A new cancer treatment involves collecting white blood cells from an individual, modifying them to secrete IL-2 and target the ESO-1 protein expressed on some cancers, and returning them to the body. The cells may then be able to seek out the cancer cells and destroy them. Some kinds of cancer contain a protein called ESO-1, which is found on the surface of the cells. Doctors want to modify white blood cells to have an anti-ESO-1 effect, and use them to treat the cancer that has the ESO-1. In addition to adding genes that target the ESO-1 protein to the cells, the genes for IL-12 are added to the cells. IL-12 is a protein that stimulates the immune system. This type of therapy is called gene transfer. Objectives: - To test the safety and effectiveness of anti-ESO-1/IL-12 white blood cells against metastatic cancer. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have metastatic cancer that expresses ESO-1 and has not responded to standard treatments. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical exam. They will also have blood tests and imaging studies. Participants will have leukapheresis about a month before the treatment to collect white blood cells. They will have chemotherapy 5 days before the treatment to suppress the immune system, and prepare the body for the anti-ESO-1/IL-12 cells. The anti-ESO-1/IL-12 cells will be given as an infusion. Participants will be monitored in the hospital during their recovery from the treatment. Participants will have regular followup exams every 1 to 6 months. The exams will include blood tests, imaging studies, and other studies. Due to toxicities seen with the regimen, it was decided not to pursue the phase 2 portion of the study.

When kidney cancer spreads beyond the kidney, it is known as metastatic kidney cancer. This is very difficult to treat and almost all patients will die of their disease within 2 years of the diagnosis. Sunitinib and other related drugs (e.g. pazopanib) have become standard therapy for untreated patients with metastatic kidney cancer. They target a growth factor known as VEGF which is important in treating kidney cancer. Although the results with this drug are impressive, patients develop resistance to the drug and stop therapy. It is currently standard practice is to give everolimus when resistance to sunitinib occurs; this is associated with clear clinical benefit. However the average time to cancer regrowth with everolimus is only 5 months. It is thought this might be because, everolimus only partially inhibits its target (TORC 1 and TORC 2). Therefore further improvement in treating patients is required. AZD2014 is a promising new drug which does inhibit both TORC 1 and TORC 2 and is therefore worthy of investigation in renal cancer as it theoretically could may have advantages over everolimus. Therefore study compares AZD2014 to everolimus in the setting where everolimus is used as standard of care. (e.g. in patients who have failed drug like sunitinib). The study is a randomised trial allowing us to quantify the benefit and potential for further development of AZD2014. Repeat Xrays (CT scans) will be used to assess if the new drug delays tumour growth. Patients will be closely followed up in clinic to ensure safety. A maximum of 122 patients will be recruited into this multi centre national trial. The primary goal of the study is to investigate if AZ2014 delays the time for cancer regrowth (time to progression) compared to everolimus.

This is a Phase I study; dose escalating the combination of pazopanib when taken daily and ixabepilone when administered on day 1 of a 3 week treatment course.

This study is being done to see if we can improve the response of Interleukin-2 by adding Zoledronic acid. The effectiveness of the combination of drugs in kidney cancer is unknown and will be investigated in this study. In particular, this study will evaluate the effect of this combination on kidney cancer and will also examine the safety and side effects of IL-2 with Zoledronic acid.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining gemcitabine and paclitaxel in treating patients who have advanced or recurrent cancer of the urinary tract.

The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a third TKI after two previous lines of therapy with TKIs, in terms of median progression free survival (mPFS), in patients affected by metastatic renal cancer cell. Patients receiving the sequence Sunitinib- Axitinib, will receive Sorafenib. Patients receiving the sequence Pazopanib-Sorafenib, will receive Sunitinib. Sorafenib dosage 400mg orally, twice a day. Sunitinib dosage 50 mg 4 weeks on followed by 2 weeks a rest. The therapy will be continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.