Active clinical trials for "Cholangiocarcinoma"

This randomized phase III trial studies how well gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin with or without radiation therapy work in treating patients with localized liver cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin, 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. It is not yet known whether giving gemcitabine and cisplatin is more effective with or without radiation therapy in this patient population. Patients register to this study after receiving gemcitabine and cisplatin.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether gemcitabine and pazopanib are effective in the treatment of inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic biliary tree cancer (cholangiocarcinoma or gallbladder carcinoma).

Primary Objectives: To evaluate the safety of the treatment of patients with technically or medically inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma with proton therapy and concurrent bevacizumab biotherapy. To identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) using this combination. Secondary Objectives: To evaluate local control rate within the radiation field, hepatic control rate outside the treatment field, time to radiographic progression and 2 year survival rate. To analyze dose-volume characteristics that influence the development of radiation induced liver disease (RILD) and GI bleeds that may occur. To assess quality of life during and after chemoradiation therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a combination of a drug, porfimer sodium (Photofrin), which is activated by a light from a laser that emits no heat. This technique works to allow the medical doctor to specifically target and destroy abnormal or cancer cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The activation of the drug is done by lighting the abnormal areas using a fiber optic device (very fine fiber like a fishing line that permits light transmission) inserted into a flexible tube with a light called cholangioscope for the bile duct. The light will activate the porfimer sodium concentrated in the abnormal tissue, leading to its destruction. This research study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of PDT with porfimer sodium administered with Standard Medical Care (SMC) compared to SMC alone on the overall survival time of patients with non-operable advanced cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile ducts. It will involve 200 patients across North America and Europe. Other countries may participate if needed. Participation will last at least 18 months.

The overall goal of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of combination treatment of low-dose fractionated radiation therapy with gemcitabine-cisplatin chemotherapy for locally advanced mass forming intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

This research study is evaluating the use of radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy as a possible treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of gastrointestinal cancer.

Malignant obstructive jaundice is a common complication of advanced stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Over 50% of common bile duct (CBD) obstructions are due to malignancy, and the majority of neoplasms are unresectable at the time of diagnosis. Biliary drainage with placement of self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) for palliation is the therapy of choice in this set of patients. Conventional stent placement provides palliation for a limited duration only and these subjects come back with obstructive jaundice. Due to age, comorbidities, malignant disease status, it is better to conduct reduced number of therapeutic endoscopies to reduce the number of complications. Additionally, only biliary stenting itself may provide only palliation, and not increase the duration of survival. Currently, there are only two therapies. Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been evaluated as a palliative and potential neoadjuvant modality. Therefore if RFA confers similar benefits, then it may potentially be used as an alternative to PDT, given the lower adverse event profile. More recently, RFA has been recognized for its potential in palliative treatment of malignant biliary strictures. Based on the published data, RFA provides palliation and seems to increase survival duration in pancreatic cancer. Our own limited experience shows the same. The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to definitely confirm the benefit of Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in providing increased survival time and quality of life in patients with non-resectable cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic cancer. These benefits will improve clinical practice by making RFA the new standard of care for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and pancreatic cancer (PC). It will also enhance scientific knowledge by opening the door for new opportunities, e.g. RFA as a potential use for neoadjuvant therapy or as a downstaging agent for surgically resectable patients.

Malignant bile duct obstruction is a common sequela of pancreatic cancers or distal bile duct cancers, and its development can hinder the use of chemotherapy, decrease patient quality of life, and decrease survival. To relieve obstructive jaundice as a result of the obstruction, endoscopic stent placement is usually required. The use self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) have been shown to result in a longer patency times as compared with plastic stents. However, despite improvements in materials and stent design, stent obstruction still occurs in 13% to 44% of the patients. Tumor in-growth is the most common mechanism of stent obstruction. Recently, the use of endoscopic biliary radiofrequency ablation (EBRFA) have been described in patients suffering from inoperable malignant distal common bile duct (CBD) obstruction. The procedure uses heat energy to cause local tumour tissue death, resulting in re-opening of the bile duct lumen. The procedure has the potential of reducing the rate of stent obstruction after SEMS and also prolonging survival. The safety profile appears to be comparable that of placement of SEMS alone without added complications (<10%). The aim of the current study is to compare the efficacy of EBRFA with the addition of SEMS to SEMS alone in a randomized controlled trial.We hypothesize that the application of EBRFA can reduce recurrent biliary obstruction after SEMS.

This pilot clinical trial studies the safety and effectiveness of continuous hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of floxuridine (FUDR) alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs in treating patients with locally advanced cholangiocarcinoma that cannot be removed by surgery. HAI is a method to deliver higher concentrations of FUDR more directly to liver tumors and reduces side effects. HAI alone or in combination with oxaliplatin and/or gemcitabine may significantly improve clinical outcomes of patients with locally advanced cholangiocarcinoma.

The study is being conducted to assess the safety and tolerability of (1) PEGPH20 in combination with CIS and GEM (PEGCISGEM), and (2) PEGPH20 in combination with CIS, GEM, and atezolizumab (PEGCISGEMATEZO) compared with (3) cisplatin and gemcitabine (CISGEM).