Active clinical trials for "Pancreatic Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells mixed with tumor proteins may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 may be an effective treatment for advanced cancer. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of a vaccine made with the patients' white blood cells mixed with tumor proteins in treating patients who have advanced cancer.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a peptide may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 and/or sargramostim may be a more effective treatment for solid tumors. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy plus interleukin-2 and/or sargramostim in treating adults who have metastatic solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combining gemcitabine, fluorouracil, and leucovorin in treating patients with recurrent, refractory, or metastatic solid tumors or lymphomas.

RATIONALE: Tipifarnib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth and may make them more sensitive to radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving tipifarnib together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of tipifarnib when given together with radiation therapy in treating patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug or giving drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of gemcitabine with or without CI-994 in treating patients who have advanced pancreatic cancer.

Interleukin-12 may kill tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor and by stimulating a person's white blood cells to kill cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of interleukin-12 and trastuzumab in treating patients who have cancer that has high levels of HER2/neu and has not responded to previous therapy

RATIONALE: Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Peripheral stem cell transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by monoclonal antibody therapy used to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody plus peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer or pancreatic cancer that has not responded to previous treatment.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cells from growing. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of biological therapy in treating patients who have metastatic cancer that has not responded to previous treatment.

This randomized phase III trial is studying gemcitabine and bevacizumab to see how well they work compared to gemcitabine alone in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Combining gemcitabine with bevacizumab may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether gemcitabine is more effective with or without bevacizumab in treating pancreatic cancer.

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of the drugs Gemcitabine and Herceptin, given in conjunction with radiation therapy, for treating patients with cancer of the pancreas. Gemcitabine is standard therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer. It damages tumor cells and may enhance the effects of radiation therapy. Herceptin is a genetically engineered antibody that has prevented some tumors from growing in patients with breast cancer. Because breast and pancreatic cancer cells share an characteristic related to how Herceptin works (similar HER-2/neu receptor proteins), it is thought that this drug may also inhibit growth of tumors of the pancreas. Patients with pancreatic cancer may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a physical examination, chest X-ray, blood tests, electrocardiogram, and computerized tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. They will also have a minor surgical procedure called a laparoscopy to evaluate the extent of their cancer. This procedure, done under general anesthesia, requires an overnight hospital stay. A small incision (about 1 inch) is made in the abdomen and a thin, flexible tube with a light and special fibers at the end is inserted into the opening. This device, called a laparoscope, allows the surgeon to see inside the abdominal cavity to evaluate the tumor and also to remove a small piece of tumor tissue for examination. Patients accepted into the study will be assigned to one of two treatment groups, according to whether or not their tumor can be removed with surgery. Patients will be asked to complete a Quality of Life Evaluation before treatment begins and again at each follow-up visit. This 15-minute questionnaire assesses patients' feelings, their ability to carry out usual activities, and the effects of therapy on their general health and well being. Patients in both treatment groups will be given the same chemotherapy, on an outpatient basis unless special circumstances require hospitalization. Gemcitabine is infused over 30 to 60 minutes through an intravenous catheter (IV)-a thin plastic tube inserted into an arm vein. Herceptin is then given over 30 to 90 minutes through the same IV line. Radiation therapy to the abdomen will start the same day, after the drugs have been administered, and will continue for the next 4 days. This treatment cycle-chemotherapy plus 5 days of radiation therapy-will be repeated each week for 6 weeks. Within 6 weeks after the last treatment, the patient's tumor will be evaluated with a blood test and CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis to determine if it can be removed with surgery. If so, the procedure will be done under general anesthesia and will require a 7- to 10-day hospital stay. If the tumor cannot be removed with surgery, another biopsy will be taken to evaluate the tumor's response to the chemotherapy and radiation treatment. All patients will receive additional chemotherapy beginning 6 weeks after surgery (for patients whose tumors were removed) or 6 weeks after radiation therapy (for patients whose tumors could not be removed). Gemcitabine and Herceptin will be given IV once a week for 3 weeks followed by a week of rest. This 4-week treatment cycle will be repeated up to six times. After treatment ends, patients will be evaluated with CT scans or X-rays and blood tests every 3 to 4 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months thereafter to evaluate disease status.