Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Biological therapies, such as cellular adoptive immunotherapy, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Aldesleukin may stimulate the white blood cells, including lymphokine-activated killer cells, to kill tumor cells. Giving cellular adoptive immunotherapy during or after surgery may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well cellular adoptive immunotherapy works in treating patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vinblastine and carboplatin, 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. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vinblastine when given together with carboplatin in treating young patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent low-grade glioma.

RATIONALE: 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. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying giving radiation therapy or combination chemotherapy to see how well it works in treating patients with clinically or radiologically progressive low-grade gliomas.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying combination chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy to see how well it works compared to radiation therapy alone in treating patients with germ cell tumors in the brain.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well temozolomide works in treating patients with supratentorial low-grade glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Everolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving temozolomide together with everolimus may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of everolimus when given together with temozolomide in treating patients with newly diagnosed, recurrent, or progressive malignant glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as etoposide and cyclophosphamide, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Thalidomide, celecoxib, and fenofibrate may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking blood flow to the cancer. Celecoxib also may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving combination chemotherapy together with thalidomide, celecoxib, and fenofibrate may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving etoposide and cyclophosphamide together with thalidomide, celecoxib, and fenofibrate works in treating young patients with relapsed or progressive cancer.

The purpose of the study was to determine if treating a limited volume of normal tissue surrounding the tumor or tumor bed using conformal radiation therapy would achieve similar rates of disease control compared to standard radiation therapy. The study was also conducted to examine the effect of irradiation on neurological, endocrine and cognitive function.

RATIONALE: Stereotactic radiosurgery may be able to send x-rays directly to the tumor and cause less damage to normal tissue. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving stereotactic radiosurgery together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving stereotactic radiosurgery together with radiation therapy works in treating patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

The study will try to answer these questions: What is the highest dose of thalidomide brain cancer patients can receive safely in combination with irinotecan? How well does this combination work to shrink brain tumors, and how long do responses to treatment last? What side effects does the combination of drugs cause? How does treatment affect patients' quality of life (how they feel and what activities they are able to do)?