Active clinical trials for "Astrocytoma"

The purpose of this research study is to learn if the study drug RAD001 can shrink or slow the growth of low-grade gliomas. Additionally, the safety of RAD001 will be studied. RAD001 is a drug that may act directly on tumor cells by inhibiting tumor cell growth and proliferation.

Currently, there are few effective treatments for the following aggressive brain tumors: glioblastoma multiforme, anaplastic astrocytoma, gliomatosis cerebri, gliosarcoma, or brainstem glioma. Surgery and radiation can generally slow down these aggressive brain tumors, but in the majority of patients, these tumors will start growing again in 6-12 months. Adding chemotherapy drugs to surgery and radiation does not clearly improve the cure rate of children with malignant gliomas. The investigators are conducting this study to see if the combination of valproic acid and bevacizumab (also known as AvastinTM) with surgery and radiation will shrink these brain tumors more effectively and improve the chance of cure.

Background: - An experimental drug called ABT-888 has been studied in combination with temozolomide (a type of chemotherapy) in adults who have certain kinds of cancer. ABT-88 has been shown to increase tumor sensitivity to temozolomide and improve treatment outcomes in people who have cancer. More research is needed to determine if this combination of drugs will work well as an effective treatment for children who have brain tumors. This will be the first time this combination has been studied in pediatric patients. Objectives: To determine the maximum doses of ABT-888 and temozolomide when given in combination in children with brain tumors. To learn how children metabolize and clear ABT-888 from their bodies so that appropriate doses of this medication can be recommended for future clinical trials of this drug. To learn what side effects may occur when ABT-888 and temozolomide are given together. To learn how certain tumors respond to this combination of drugs by studying the characteristics of these tumors in a laboratory. Eligibility: - Individuals less than 21 years of age who have been diagnosed with a cancer of the nervous system (including brain and brain stem tumors) that has not responded to standard therapy. Design: Before beginning the study, participants will have a full medical history and physical examination, and may also be required to have scans of the brain and spine or provide samples of cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment will consist of up to 13 28-day cycles of therapy, for a total of 52 weeks (1 year). Participants will receive a dose of ABT-888 twice daily for 5 days, and will receive a dose of temozolomide once daily for 5 days, every 28 days. The morning dose of ABT-888 will be given 60-90 minutes before the dose of temozolomide. Participants will have routine blood tests at least once a week throughout the treatment cycles, and will have scans of the brain and spine performed as required by the researchers.

Background: The optimal treatment of anaplastic gliomas is controversial. Standard of care in most centers is still radiotherapy. This phase III study compared the efficacy and safety of radiotherapy vs chemotherapy in patients (pts) with newly-diagnosed, supratentorial gliomas of WHO grade III. Methods: Pts were randomized 2:1:1 between June 1999 and February 2005 in 34 German centers to receive (i) a 6-week course of radiotherapy (1,8-2 Gy fractions, total dose 54-60 Gy) or (ii) four 6-week cycles of CCNU at 110 mg mg/m2 on day 1, vincristine at 2 mg on days 8 and 29 and procarbazine at 60 mg/m2 on days 8-21 or eight 4-week cycles of 200 mg/m2 temozolomide on days 1-5. Treatment was stopped prematurely at disease progression or occurrence of unacceptable toxicity. At this time or at disease progression, treatment in the radiotherapy group was continued with one of the chemotherapies (1:1 randomization) and with radiotherapy in both chemotherapy groups. The primary endpoint was time-to-treatment-failure (TTF) defined as progression after radiotherapy and one chemotherapy in either sequence, or any time before if further therapy could not be employed. Assuming a 50% improvement in TTF of starting with chemotherapy, 318 pts were to be enrolled to provide 80% power to achieve statistical significance at a one-sided level of 0.05.

In this multinational dose finding Phase IIb study the efficacy and safety of two doses of AP 12009 compared to standard chemotherapy (temozolomide or PCV) is investigated in adult patients with confirmed recurrent high-grade glioma.

Objectives: To determine maximum tolerated dose of farnesyl transferase inhibitor, SCH 66336, when administered w TEMODAR®. To characterize any toxicity associated w combo of farnesyl transferase inhibitor, SCH 66336, & TEMODAR®. To observe patients for clinical antitumor response when treated with combination of farnesyl transferase inhibitor, SCH 66336, & TEMODAR®. To assess pharmacokinetics of SCH 66336 for patients on & not on enzyme inducing antiepileptic drugs.

Rationale: Standard therapy for anaplastic oligodendrogliomas and mixed oligoastrocytomas includes radiation and chemotherapy. However, due to the potential long-term central nervous system toxicity from radiation, researchers speculate that it may be better to reserve radiation therapy for progressive disease. In addition, some patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma and mixed oligoastrocytoma have unusually chemosensitive tumors. Previous research indicates that brain tumor patients with a deletion of the 1p chromosome have a higher response to the chemotherapy drug temozolomide.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects of fluorine F18 EF5 when given during positron emission tomography to find oxygen in tumor cells of patients who are undergoing surgery or biopsy for newly diagnosed brain tumors. Diagnostic procedures using fluorine F 18 EF5 and positron emission tomography to detect tumor hypoxia may help in planning cancer treatment

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of lenalidomide in treating young patients with recurrent, progressive, or refractory CNS tumors. Lenalidomide may stop the growth of CNS tumors by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It may also stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing.

The experimental anti-cancer drug IL13-PE38QQR, which is being developed for the treatment of malignant brain tumors, is composed of parts of two proteins: the immune system cytokine IL13 and a toxin from the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The IL13 part of the drug binds to another protein, the IL13 receptor, when this receptor is displayed on the outside surface of cells. Cells with drug bound to the IL13 receptor take up the drug, and the toxin part of the drug then kills those cells. Since brain tumor cells display the IL13 receptor, they are potential targets that may be killed by this drug. This is a pilot study to visualize the distribution of IL13-PE38QQR infused into and around brain tumor tissue before and after surgical removal of the tumor in adult patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Stored tumor tissue will be tested for presence of the receptor protein, which is required for study entry. Eligible patients will then undergo biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of recurrent malignant glioma. IL13-PE38QQR will be infused for 96 hours into and around tumor tissue through catheters that have been placed surgically. For the first 48 hours the drug will be mixed with a radioactive tracer, so that the distribution of the drug can be followed by a type of scanning called SPECT. Surgery to remove the tumor will be performed approximately 15 days after the end of the infusion. Catheters will again be placed surgically, and IL13-PE38QQR will be infused a second time for 96 hours. Radioactive tracer will be included in the infusion for the first 48 hours. For both infusions, SPECT scans will be taken at 6, 24, and 48 hours after the start of infusion. MRI scans will be taken within 90 minutes of the 24 and 48 hour SPECT scans. Patients will be followed closely with further scans and laboratory tests until completion of the study approximately 58 days after completion of the second infusion.