Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

The investigators hypothesize that this Phase 2 cellular and adoptive immunotherapy study using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) followed by an early, post-transplant infusion of donor natural killer (NK) cells on Day +7 will not only be well-tolerated in this heavily-treated population (safety), but will also provide a mechanism to treat high-risk solid tumors, leading to improved disease control rate (efficacy). Disease control rate is defined as the combination of complete (CR) and partial (PR) response and stable disease (SD). The investigators further propose that this infusion of donor NK cells will influence the development of particular NK and T cell subtypes which will provide immediate/long-term tumor surveillance, infectious monitoring, and durable engraftment. Patients with high-risk solid tumors (Ewings Sarcoma, Neuroblastoma and Rhabdomyosarcoma) who have either measurable or unmeasurable disease and have met eligibility will be enrolled on this trial for a goal enrollment of 20 patients over 4 years.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. 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. Giving radiation therapy together with temozolomide may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving temozolomide during and/or after radiation therapy is more effective than radiation therapy alone in treating anaplastic glioma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying giving temozolomide during and/or after radiation therapy to see how well it works compared to radiation therapy alone in treating patients with anaplastic glioma.

This trial investigates how well 7T MRI scan works in imaging central nervous system tumors. Diagnostic procedures, such as 7T MRI, may help find and diagnose central nervous system tumors and help measure a patient's response to earlier treatment. The goal of this trial is to learn if a new MRI system can provide better quality images than a standard MRI.

The purpose of this study is to test the usefulness of imaging with radiolabeled methionine in the evaluation of children and young adults with tumor(s). Methionine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid. It is crucial for the formation of proteins. When labeled with carbon-11 (C-11), a radioactive isotope of the naturally occurring carbon-12, the distribution of methionine can be determined noninvasively using a PET (positron emission tomography) camera. C-11 methionine (MET) has been shown valuable in the monitoring of a large number of neoplasms. Since C-11 has a short half life (20 minutes), MET must be produced in a facility very close to its intended use. Thus, it is not widely available and is produced only at select institutions with access to a cyclotron and PET chemistry facility. With the new availability of short lived tracers produced by its PET chemistry unit, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (St. Jude) is one of only a few facilities with the capabilities and interests to evaluate the utility of PET scanning in the detection of tumors, evaluation of response to therapy, and distinction of residual tumor from scar tissue in patients who have completed therapy. The investigators propose to examine the biodistribution of MET in patients with malignant solid neoplasms, with emphasis on central nervous system (CNS) tumors and sarcomas. This project introduces a new diagnostic test for the noninvasive evaluation of neoplasms in pediatric oncology. Although not the primary purpose of this proposal, the investigators anticipate that MET studies will provide useful clinical information for the management of patients with malignant neoplasms.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare subtype of extranodal non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) with rising incidence and variable response to treatment. MRI is considered the most useful imaging modality of PCNSL, but conventional MRI has its limitations, and contrast-enhanced MRI sometimes does not clearly differentiate PCNSL from other neoplasm or non-neoplastic diseases. Positron emission tomography (PET) could have a number of potential advantages in refining and improving the management of patients with PCNSL. Because of the rare incidence of PCNSL, the value of PET has however not been well defined in this subtype of lymphomas. There are a few studies that have investigated the role for FDG-PET and amino acid PET in the primary staging/diagnosis and response assessment in PCNSL patients, but the results are inconclusive. Further studies are therefore needed. Previous studies support an integration of both MRI and PET for the routine diagnostic workup and response assessment for PCNSL, and the newly available simultaneous PET/MRI scanners may have the potential to improve imaging baseline accuracy, response assessment and add prognostic value in PCNSL. The main aim of the study is to compare the sensitivity and specificity of a combined PET/MRI examination with the clinical routine MRI examination given to these patients today. It will be investigated whether PET (18F-FDG and 18F-fluciclovine) can provide additional prognostic value at baseline and in response assessment compared to MRI and established pre-treatment prognostic scores in PCNSL, and evaluate which PET/MRI parameters that are best suited as an imaging biomarker for progression-free survival.

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether the lymph nodes that drain a brain tumor can be detected by imaging after injection of a substance called Tc-99m tilmanocept directly into the brain tissue around the tumor. Tc-99m tilmanocept is a radioactive substance that is used to find lymph nodes by injecting it and then scanning the body with a device that can trace its radioactivity. In this study, the investigators are looking to see how long it takes the Tc-99m tilmanocept to travel from the tumor to the lymph nodes. The investigators will be using it to map lymph nodes as they relate to specific brain areas.

The purpose of this study is to find a safe dose of a new medicine called antibody 8H9. Antibodies are made by the body to fight infections and in some cases, to fight tumors. The antibody 8H9 is made by mice and can attack many kinds of tumors. 8H9 antibody can have a dose of radiation attached to it called 131-I. 131I-8H9 has been given in the vein to patients to find cancer cells. This is the first study using 131I-8H9 in the fluid in the spine to kill cancer cells. 131-I is a beta emitting isotope used extensively for radiation targeted therapies.

The purpose of this study is to collect clinical data, biological specimens (e.g., blood, tumor, cerebrospinal fluid, urine sample, etc.), and digital health data from patients with tumors, cancer and/or neurological disorders in order to perform research studies that could advance patient care. By collecting these specimens, the investigators plan to create and maintain a biorepository to make data and specimens available to collaborating investigators performing research to discover predictive biomarkers, patterns of care, and personalized treatments that could directly improve the care of our patients through focused proof-of-concept clinical trials.

An early phase 1 for pediatric patients with recurrent or progressive CNS malignancies

The purpose of this study is to test the safety and efficacy of iC9-GD2-CAR T-cells, a third generation (4.1BB-CD28) CAR T cell treatment targeting GD2 in paediatric or young adult patients affected by relapsed/refractory malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors. In order to improve the safety of the approach, the suicide gene inducible Caspase 9 (iC9) has been included.