Active clinical trials for "Liver Neoplasms"

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of erlotinib hydrochloride when given together with cetuximab and to see how well they work in treating patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, head and neck cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, or colorectal cancer. Erlotinib hydrochloride may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Erlotinib hydrochloride and cetuximab may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving erlotinib hydrochloride together with cetuximab may kill more tumor cells.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the, MR guided, laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) treatment technique can be safety and efficiently used for the human liver metastasis

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of dasatinib in treating patients with solid tumors or lymphomas that are metastatic or cannot be removed by surgery. Dasatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

The purpose of this research study is to determine if sorafenib improves the effectiveness of a procedure called radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Radiofrequency ablation has been used to treat many types of tumors, including hepatocellular cancers. During RFA a needle is inserted into the tumor tissue and heat is used to kill the tumor cells. Sorafenib has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of hepatocellular cancer that cannot be treated with surgery. Pre-clinical data suggests that sorafenib may improve the efficacy of RFA.

Hepatocellular cancer, one of the world's most deadly tumors, is associated with chronic liver injury and cirrhosis. With the increasing occurrence of viral hepatitis, the incidence of this cancer in the United States continues to rise. Surgical resection offers the only hope for cure; but sadly, few patients are candidates for surgery due to their liver disease. Liver transplant can be an effective treatment, but due to a scarcity of organs, most patients do not qualify for this therapy either. Patients who are not candidates for these procedures have very few therapeutic options as chemotherapy and radiation have little efficacy. New therapies are desperately needed. Opioid Growth Factor (OGF) inhibits the growth of a number of cancer lines in vitro by a receptor-mediated mechanism. In pancreatic cancer this phenomenon has been well defined not only in vitro but in animal models. Based upon these findings, a phase I trial has been conducted demonstrating that OGF can be administered safely to patients with pancreatic cancer. The investigators hypothesize that administration of OGF will inhibit the course of cancer progression in human subjects with unresectable hepatocellular cancer and cirrhosis. As a first step in testing this hypothesis, the investigators propose a phase I trial to study the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of this therapy in patients suffering from inoperable hepatocellular cancer and cirrhosis.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of irinotecan when given together with fluorouracil and leucovorin in treating patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays and other types of radiation to kill tumor cells. Specialized radiation therapy, such as yttrium Y 90 glass microspheres that deliver a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor, may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Capecitabine may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of yttrium Y 90 glass microspheres when given together with capecitabine in treating patients with liver cholangiocarcinoma or liver metastases.

This study is intended to test an experimental drug called EMD 525797 (Abituzumab). This drug is not yet approved for sale and has only been tested in a small number of people to date (prior to this study starting another research study was carried out involving 37 healthy volunteers receiving the study drug). Until more is known about this study drug, it can only be used in research studies. This research study is planned to answer important questions about how the study drug is tolerated and how it may work in subjects with ovarian and colorectal cancer which has spread to the liver (i.e. metastatic cancer). The Sponsor (Merck KGaA) of this study is developing the study drug.

A pharmacodynamic study to evaluate the effect of AV-299 on exploratory pharmacodynamic markers in subjects with advanced solid tumors who have liver metastases. To evaluate safety and tolerability of AV-299 administered IV in subjects with advanced solid tumors who have liver metastases.

RATIONALE: Stop-smoking plans, including counseling and nicotine replacement therapy, may help smokers quit smoking. It is not yet known whether counseling and the nicotine lozenge is more effective than counseling and the nicotine patch in helping adult smokers quit smoking. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying counseling and the nicotine lozenge to see how well they work compared to counseling and the nicotine patch in helping smokers quit smoking.