Active clinical trials for "Carcinoma"

This phase II trial studies how well nivolumab and chemoradiotherapy works in treating patients with stage II-IVB nasopharyngeal cancer. Monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may block tumor growth in different ways by targeting certain cells. Chemoradiotherapy is the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and may prevent the cancer from spreading when combined with nivolumab. Giving nivolumab and chemoradiotherapy may work better in treating patients with stage II-IVB nasopharyngeal cancer.

The purpose of this research study is to look at the effect of a treatment regimen called CACTUX on head and neck cancer. The CACTUX regimen is a combination of three drugs called cisplatin, nab-paclitaxel, and cetuximab (although carboplatin may be given in place of cisplatin if participants have previously had problems receiving cisplatin). The use of nab-paclitaxel in this combination is different from routine care, in which a drug called 5FU is often given instead, but the investigators group has conducted previous research where the investigators incorporated nab-paclitaxel into routine treatment with cisplatin, 5FU, and cetuximab. The investigators are looking at the incidence of side effects with the CACTUX regimen as well as response of the disease and health status.

Background: - The current standard of care for advanced lung cancer and cancers of the thymus consists primarily of chemotherapy treatment. The drugs used for chemotherapy depend on the classification of the cancer in different categories that are based on the appearance of the cancer in the microscope. Though this approach has been proved to be useful in some ways, the survival rates of individuals with lung cancer and cancers of the thymus are still very poor. Recent research has shown that several genetic abnormalities play an important role in the development and growth of lung cancer and cancers of the thymus, and that it is possible to improve treatment success rates with drugs that specifically target some of the abnormal genes. Researchers are interested in determining whether it is possible to analyze the genes of patients with lung cancer and cancers of the thymus in order to provide personalized treatment with drugs that target the specific gene abnormalities. Objectives: - To evaluate the effectiveness of genetic analysis in determining targeted therapy for individuals with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and thymic cancer. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have been diagnosed with either lung cancer or a cancer of the thymus that is not considered to be curable with the use of surgery or radiation therapy. Design: Participants will be screened with a full medical history and physical examination, blood and urine tests, and tumor imaging studies. Participants will have a tumor biopsy or provide previously collected tumor tissue for study. Based on the results of the tumor biopsy study, participants will be separated into different treatment groups: Participants with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation will receive a drug called erlotinib, which inhibits a protein called EGFR that is thought to be a key factor in the development and progression of some cancers. Participants with Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS), proto-oncogene B-Raf (BRAF), Harvey Rat sarcoma virus (HRAS), or NRAF gene mutations will receive a drug called AZD6244, which inhibits a protein called methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) that is thought to be a key factor in the development and progression of some cancers. Participants with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), protein kinase B (AKT), or phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene mutations will receive a drug called MK-2206, which inhibits a protein called AKT that is thought to be a key factor in the development and progression of some cancers. Participants with KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor A, (PDGFRA) gene mutations will receive a drug called sunitinib, which inhibits some proteins that are thought to be key factors in the development and progression of some cancers, including kidney cancer. Participants who have -erb-b2 avian erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (ERBB2) gene mutation or amplification will receive a drug called lapatinib, which inhibits some proteins that are thought to be key factors in the development and progression of some cancers, including breast cancer. Participants who do not have any of the genetic abnormalities described above will be offered different options for treatment, including standard of care chemotherapy or treatment with investigational agents in a different research protocol. After 6 weeks of treatment, participants will have imaging studies to evaluate the status of their cancer. Treatment will continue as long as participants tolerate the drugs, and the disease does not progress. Participants who benefit from the first treatment but eventually develop resistance and progression of their cancer will be offered the chance to have a second tumor biopsy and undergo a different treatment for their cancer.

This randomized phase III trial studies sorafenib tosylate and stereotactic body radiation therapy to see how well they work compared to sorafenib tosylate alone in treating patients with liver cancer. Sorafenib tosylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Stereotactic body radiation therapy may be able to send the radiation dose directly to the tumor and cause less damage to normal tissue. Giving sorafenib tosylate together with stereotactic body radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if the combination of everolimus, letrozole, and metformin can help to control recurrent or progressive endometrial cancer. The safety of this drug combination will also be studied. Everolimus is designed to block a protein inside cancer cells that is involved in cancer growth. Letrozole is designed to block a protein from making estrogen. This may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. Metformin is commonly used to control blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. It is designed to lower insulin levels, which may slow or stop the growth of endometrial cancer cells.

Accelerated, normofractionated radiotherapy is the treatment of choice in stage II-III laryngeal and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, twenty to thirty percent of patients with stage II-III laryngeal and HPV negative oropharyngeal SCC develop disease progression, mainly due to lack of locoregional control. Radiosensitizers such as cisplatin and cetuximab are added to radiotherapy in more advanced stage of head and neck (H&N) cancer. These radiosensitizers improve loco-regional control and overall survival. Unfortunately, as these radiosensitizers, notably cisplatin, also dose intensify the radiation dose in normal tissues, they also significantly increase toxicity. Adding a more tumor-specific radiosensitizing agent could improve loco-regional control and overall survival without significantly increasing toxicity. Radiotherapy kills tumor cells by inducing DNA damage. The efficacy of radiotherapy is limited by the ability of tumor cells to repair this DNA damage. Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) is an essential enzyme in base excision repair and single strand break DNA repair, DNA lesions arising from radiation treatment. PARP inhibition and consequently the inhibition of PARP-facilitated DNA repair enhances the anti-tumor activity of radiotherapy, as shown in preclinical studies including head and neck xenograft studies. This radiosensitization is thought to be proliferation dependent and is more pronounced in homologous recombination (HR) deficient cells, providing an opportunity for tumor specific targeting. Genetic analyses suggest that HR deficiency is commonly found in H&N SCC: ATM loss has been reported in 60% of human H&N SCC biopsies and FANC-F defects were reported in 15-21% of human H&N SCC biopsies and cell lines. The efficacy of radiotherapy is also limited by tumor hypoxia, as tumor hypoxia results in radioresistance. Some PARP inhibiting compounds increase tumor perfusion in xenograft models, thereby reducing hypoxia and specifically sensitizing tumor cells to radiotherapy. Hypoxia is commonly found in H&N SCC and a high pre-treatment hypoxic fraction in H&N SCC tumors is associated with worse outcome. The high prevalence of both hypoxia and HR deficiencies in H&N SCC support the concept of tumor-specific radiosensitization by PARP inhibition in head and neck cancer patients. Olaparib is a potent PARP inhibitor developed as an anti-cancer drug for HR defected tumors and as a dose intensifier for chemo- and radiotherapy. In humans, olaparib has a low toxicity profile as a single agent, with increasing bone marrow toxicity when combined with chemotherapy. The combination of olaparib and radiotherapy for H&N SCC is expected to improve locoregional control and thereby overall survival. However, this combination treatment has never been tested in humans before. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and tolerability of radiotherapy for stage II-III laryngeal and stage II-III HPV-negative oropharyngeal SCC with concurrent olaparib.

The purpose of this study is to find out what effects, good and/or bad, the combination of the drug sorafenib in combination with the drug doxorubicin might have on the growth and spread of liver cancer (HCC).

This randomized phase II trial studies how well transoral surgery followed by low-dose or standard-dose radiation therapy works in treating patients with human papilloma virus (HPV) positive stage III-IVA oropharyngeal cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery. It is not yet known how much extra treatment needs to be given after surgery.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of lapatinib when given together with dabrafenib in treating patients with thyroid cancer that cannot be removed by surgery and has not responded to previous treatment (refractory). Dabrafenib and lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

This phase Ib/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of olaparib and vistusertib (AZD2014) or olaparib and capivasertib (AZD5363) when given together in treating patients with endometrial, triple negative breast cancer, ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer that has come back (recurrent). Olaparib, vistusertib, and capivasertib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.