Active clinical trials for "Astrocytoma"

This study is being done to evaluate the toxicity and safety of carboplatin administered by convection enhanced delivery into the tumor in patients with high grade glial neoplasms. This study is a dose escalating study, (the dose of the study drug is increased at set time points). Carboplatin is in a class of drugs known as platinum-containing compounds; it slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. Convection enhanced delivery involves placing one or more catheters into the brain and delivering chemotherapy through those catheters directly into the brain

High Grade Gliomas, including anaplastic astrocytomas, anaplastic oligodendrogliomas and glioblastomas (GBM), are the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumors. Prognosis for patients with high-grade gliomas remains poor. The estimated median survival for patients with GBM is between 12 to 18 months. Recurrence after initial therapy with temozolomide and radiation is nearly universal. Since May 2009, the majority of patients in the US with an initial recurrence of high-grade glioma receive bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is thought to prevent angiogenesis in these highly vascular tumors. BEV has response rates from 32-62% and has improved overall median survival in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas1. However, the response is short lived, and nearly 100% of patients eventually progress despite bevacizumab. No chemotherapeutic agent administered following progression through bevacizumab has made a significant impact on survival. Patients progress to death within 1-5 months after resistance develops. Therefore, patients with high-grade gliomas who have progressed through bevacizumab represent a population in dire need of a feasible and tolerable treatment. NKTR-102 is a topoisomerase I inhibitor polymer conjugate that was engineered by attaching irinotecan molecules to a polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer using a biodegradable linker. Irinotecan released from NKTR-102 following administration is further metabolized to the active metabolite, 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin (SN38), that causes DNA damage through inhibition of topoisomerase. The goal in designing NKTR-102 was to attenuate or eliminate some of the limiting side effects of irinotecan while improving efficacy by modifying the distribution of the agent within the body. The size and structure of NKTR-102 results in marked alteration in pharmacokinetic (PK) profile for the SN38 derived from NKTR-102 compared to that following irinotecan: the maximal plasma concentration (Cmax) is reduced 5- to 10-fold and the half-life (t1/2 ) of SN38 is increased from 2 days to approximately 50 days. This altered profile leads to constant exposure of the tumor to the active drug. In addition, the large NKTR-102 molecule does not freely pass out of intact vasculature, which may account for relatively higher concentrations of the compound and the active metabolites in tumor tissues in in vivo models, where the local vasculature may be relatively more permeable. A 145 mg/m2 dose of NKTR-102, the dose intended for use in this phase II clinical trial (and being used in the phase III clinical program), results in approximately the same plasma exposure to SN38 as a 350 mg/m2 dose of irinotecan, but exposure is protracted, resulting in continuous exposure between dosing cycles and lower Cmax. NKTR-102 was therefore developed as a new chemotherapeutic agent that may improve the clinical outcomes of patients.

The study aims to optimize the treatment of elderly subjects (> 65) with anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma. Current treatment policies tend to be no more than palliative. There is no consensus as to how radical the surgery should be. Involved-field radiotherapy is the treatment most likely to be accepted apart from supportive and palliative measures. The role of chemotherapy is barely defined. Study data available to date does not suggest that this patient population would benefit from combined radiochemotherapy. The aim of the study is to verify the hypothesis that first-line chemotherapy with one week on/one week off temozolomide is not inferior to extended-field radiotherapy in the first-line treatment of anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma in the elderly (> 65 age group). The primary endpoint is median survival, as life expectancy is limited to several months. Secondary endpoints are response rates in both arms (CR, PR, MacDonald et al. 1990), median progression-free survival, 1-year and 2-year survival rates, definition of MGMT as molecular genetic prognostic or predictive markers, and quality of life. Theoretically, it should be possible to preserve quality of life in the first-line chemotherapy arm of the study.

TVI-Brain-1 is an experimental treatment that takes advantage of the fact that your body can produce immune cells, called 'killer' white blood cells that have the ability to kill large numbers of the cancer cells that are present in your body. TVI-Brain-1 is designed to generate large numbers of those 'killer' white blood cells and to deliver those cells into your body so that they can kill your cancer cells.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies, such as cellular adoptive immunotherapy, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Donor T cells that are treated in the laboratory may be effective treatment for malignant glioma. Aldesleukin may stimulate the white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Combining different types of biological therapies may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best way to give therapeutic donor lymphocytes together with aldesleukin in treating patients with stage III or stage IV malignant glioma.

This phase I study evaluated a Gene Mediated Cytotoxic Immunotherapy approach for malignant gliomas, including glioblastoma multiforme and anaplastic astrocytoma. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of delivering an experimental approach called GliAtak which uses AdV-tk, an adenoviral vector containing the Herpes Simplex thymidine kinase gene, plus an oral anti-herpetic prodrug, valacyclovir, in combination with standard of care radiation.

This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Everolimus in treating patients with Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytomas associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

This phase II trial studies how well everolimus works in treating patients with recurrent low-grade glioma. Everolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth or by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

This is a study of multiple regimens of single-agent XL184 in subjects with grade IV astrocytic tumor in first or second relapse. The Randomized Phase of the study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of four XL184 dosing regimens in separate study arms. Subjects will be randomized to one of the study arms, which will not be blinded. After the Randomized Phase, additional subjects will be enrolled to further expand one study arm in the Expansion Phase.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 (RO4929097) when given together with temozolomide and radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed malignant glioma. Enzyme inhibitors, such as gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097, may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 together with temozolomide and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.