Active clinical trials for "Liver Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Sorafenib tosylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin hydrochloride and mitomycin C, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemoembolization kills tumor cells by carrying drugs directly into the tumor and blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving sorafenib tosylate before and after chemoembolization may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving sorafenib tosylate before and after hepatic arterial chemoembolization with doxorubicin hydrochloride and mitomycin C works in treating patients with localized liver cancer that cannot be removed by surgery.

Cancers that have spread to the liver from the primary cancer location (liver metastases) that cannot be removed surgically (unresectable) can be treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Previous research has shown that tumours often have abnormal blood vessels that may reduce the effect of radiation therapy. New drugs, known as "anti-angiogenic" drugs have been shown in animal and human studies to damage or change tumour blood vessels in ways that may make tumors more sensitive to radiation treatment. 32- 44 Patients diagnosed with unresectable liver metastasis will be invited to take part in this study. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of a new anti-angiogenic drug called Sorafenib, in combination radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The study will test how effective the new treatment is, the side effects associated with the new treatment, and to help establish safe dosages of the study medication.

Autologous Vigil™ vaccine expresses rhGMCSF and bi-shRNAfurin from the Vigil™ plasmid. The GMCSF protein is a potent stimulator of the immune system, recruiting immune effectors to the site of intradermal injection and promoting antigen presentation. The furin bifunctional shRNA blocks furin protein production at the post transcriptional and translational levels. This decrease in furin in turn decreases the conversion of the proforms TGFβ1 and TGFβ2 proteins. Also, reduced furin protein levels have a negative feedback inhibition on TGFβ1 and TGFβ2 gene expression, decreasing the levels of their mRNAs. The resulting decrease in TGFβ1 and TGFβ2 proteins reduces the local immunosuppression they cause and promotes tumor surface antigen and MHC protein display.

This study is designed to see whether stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) can reduce tumour size, slow progression of the disease, prolong life and improve quality of life. SBRT is concentrated focused radiation therapy delivered very precisely to the liver tumour. Presently, the treatment for unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer is most often chemotherapy or novel targeted therapy. These treatments may improve survival, but not control the metastases permanently; so new treatments are needed to control metastases. It is hoped that knowledge obtained from this study will improve our ability to treat patients with liver tumours that cannot be treated with surgery and other methods, and that SBRT may prove to be a treatment that can lead to long-term and permanent control of liver tumours for some patients.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of blocking the blood vessels to the tumor in your liver with small beads alone (Bead Block) versus blocking them with the same bead that contains and releases doxorubicin (a chemotherapy agent). The reason for the study is to see if adding doxorubicin kills more tumor than would be killed by just blocking the blood supplying the tumor. The chemotherapy, doxorubicin, has been used for many years to treat patients with cancer. This procedure to block the blood vessels is called embolization. Embolization is a common treatment for patients with liver cancer who cannot have surgery. The investigators are comparing the standard treatment (using the small beads alone) with another that should be at least as good, but possibly better (with the addition of the drug, doxorubicin). There is no guarantee that the new treatment is better and it is possible that there might be more side effects (related to the doxorubicin) than what is seen with the standard treatment.

This single arm study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a combination of Tarceva and Avastin in patients with advanced or metastatic liver cancer. Patients were treated with Tarceva 150 mg po daily plus Avastin 5 mg/kg intravenous (iv) every 2 weeks. The anticipated time on study treatment was until disease progression, and the target sample size was <100 individuals.

RATIONALE: Stereotactic radiation therapy may be able to send x-rays directly to the tumor and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of stereotactic radiation therapy in treating patients with advanced liver cancer.

RATIONALE: Iodine I 131 ethiodized oil may help prevent or delay the recurrence of cancer. It is not yet known whether iodine I 131 ethiodized oil is more effective than non-radiolabeled ethiodized oil in preventing recurrent cancer in patients who have undergone treatment for liver cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying iodine I 131 ethiodized oil to see how well it works compared with non-radiolabeled ethiodized oil in preventing recurrent cancer in patients who have undergone treatment for liver cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin and capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. 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. Giving chemotherapy together with a monoclonal antibody may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving oxaliplatin and capecitabine together with cetuximab works in treating patients with advanced liver cancer.

This single-arm, open-label study assessed the efficacy and safety of Avastin (bevacizumab) treatment combined with transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) in patients with localized unresectable liver cancer. Patients were treated with TACE at 8 or 10 week intervals for 4 sessions (continuation depended on investigator's discretion). Avastin 5 mg/kg intravenously was administered 24-48 hours prior to each TACE session and every 2 weeks between the TACE sessions until disease progression.