Active clinical trials for "Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal"

This pilot clinical trial studies the side effects and the best way to give vorinostat with isotretinoin and combination chemotherapy and to see how well they work in treating younger patients with embryonal tumors of the central nervous system. Vorinostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as isotretinoin, vincristine sulfate, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide phosphate, 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. Giving vorinostat with isotretinoin and combination chemotherapy may be an effective treatment for embryonal tumors of the central nervous system. A peripheral blood stem cell transplant may be able to replace blood-forming cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy. This may allow more chemotherapy to be given so that more tumor cells are killed.

This study will look to see how well patients with relapsed or recurrent intracranial germ cell tumors respond to the new combination of chemotherapy (in induction)of Gemcitabine, Paclitaxel and Oxaliplatin (GemPOx) followed by consolidation chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue.

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 ABT-751, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of ABT-751 in treating young patients with refractory solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as ixabepilone, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well ixabepilone works in treating patients with metastatic germ cell tumors that are refractory to cisplatin.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in treating patients with refractory metastatic germ cell tumors that have not responded to surgery or chemotherapy.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells that have been treated in the laboratory may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy in treating patients who have advanced or metastatic cancer.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a peptide may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 and/or sargramostim may be a more effective treatment for solid tumors. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy plus interleukin-2 and/or sargramostim in treating adults who have metastatic solid tumors.

Interleukin-12 may kill tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor and by stimulating a person's white blood cells to kill cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of interleukin-12 and trastuzumab in treating patients who have cancer that has high levels of HER2/neu and has not responded to previous therapy

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin in treating patients who have metastatic testicular cancer that has recurred following treatment.