Active clinical trials for "Melanoma"

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies 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. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the side effects and best dose of a monoclonal antibody in treating patients with stage IV melanoma.

Background: This study uses a new experimental procedure for treating melanoma that uses the patient's own lymphocytes (type of white blood cell), which are specially selected to target and destroy their tumor. Objectives: To determine whether this experimental treatment can cause the patient's tumor to shrink. To test the safety of the treatment and its effects on the immune system. Eligibility: Patients with metastatic melanoma 18 years of age and older for whom standard treatments are not effective or who cannot take high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2). Patients must have the tissue type human leukocyte antigens (HLA-A)0201. Design: Workup: Patients have scans, x-rays, laboratory tests, and other tests as needed. Patients have leukapheresis (a procedure for collecting lymphocytes that is similar to collecting whole blood) to collect cells for laboratory treatment and later reinfusion. Chemotherapy: Patients have low-dose chemotherapy for 1 week to prepare the immune system to receive the cultured lymphocytes. Cell infusion and IL-2 treatment: Patients receive the lymphocytes by infusion through a vein and then either high-dose IL-2 infused through a vein or low-dose IL-2 injected under the skin. High-dose IL-2 is given as infusions through a vein every 8 hours for up to 15 doses. Low-dose IL-2 is given as injections under the skin daily for 5 days, followed by a 2-day rest, with this regimen repeated for a total of 5 weeks. Recovery: Patients rest for 1 to 2 weeks to recover from the effects of chemotherapy and IL-2. Tumor biopsy: Patients may be asked to have a biopsy (removal of a small piece of tumor) after receiving treatment to look at the effects of treatment in the tumor. Follow-up: After treatment is completed, patients return to the clinic for physical examinations, review of side effects, laboratory tests and scans every 1 to 6 months until the disease worsens. Retreatment: Patients whose tumor did not grow after treatment or showed evidence of shrinking may be able to be retreated if their tumor begins to grow. They receive the same regimen of chemotherapy, lymphocyte infusion and IL-2 treatment....

RATIONALE: Radiofrequency therapy and radiofrequency ablation use a high-frequency electric current to kill tumor cells. Radiofrequency therapy can also cause the body to produce heat-shock proteins which may help kill more tumor cells. Cryotherapy kills tumor cells by freezing them. It is not yet known whether heat-shock proteins caused by radiofrequency therapy given together with radiofrequency ablation or cryotherapy is more effective in treating stage IV melanoma than radiofrequency therapy-induced heat-shock proteins alone. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying the side effects of radiofrequency therapy-induced endogenous heat-shock proteins when given alone or together with radiofrequency ablation or cryotherapy in treating patients with stage IV melanoma.

The purpose of this study is to test the safety and effectiveness of Avastin introduced into the inside of the eyeball in causing shrinkage of the uveal melanoma (tumor of the eye). Avastin is an anti-cancer drug specially designed to shrink blood vessels within tumors.

Temozolomide (also known as TMZ) is a chemotherapy drug given by mouth. It is similar to DTIC, the only FDA-approved chemotherapy for melanoma, but because temozolomide is given by mouth, it can be given daily over a long period of time. We think that temozolomidemay work best if it is given every day for 6 weeks at a time. Temozolomide given by this extended schedule is experimental, although we have found that it is safe and can shrink melanoma in some patients. One big advantage of TMZ is that it is given by mouth instead of by vein. This means that it can be given daily over a long period of time rather than off and on like DTIC. We think that TMZ may work better if it is given every day for 6 weeks. TMZ given by this extended schedule is experimental although we have found that TMZ given in this way is safe and can shrink melanoma in some patients. When extended dosing TMZ was given with either thalidomide or long-acting interferon-α, about 30% of patients had their tumors shrink. We think that this shrinkage was due mostly to the TMZ since neither thalidomide nor interferon-α alpha work in melanoma by themselves. In this study, we will treat patients with TMZ alone using this extended dosing schedule to see how many patients experience tumor shrinkage. We also want to learn more about which tumors are more likely to shrink from TMZ treatment. We will test samples of your tumor for whether or not a gene called MGMT has been turned on,

This was a Phase 2, open-label study of KW2871 (ecromeximab) in combination with high-dose interferon-α2b (HDI) in patients with metastatic melanoma. The primary objectives of this study were to assess progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. The secondary objectives were to assess the objective response rate, KW2871 pharmacokinetics (PK), and other exploratory immunology as indicated (e.g., development of human anti-chimeric antibodies [HACA], activity of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity [ADCC] and complement-dependent cytotoxicity [CDC] in peripheral blood, number and functional state of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and expression of GD3 in immune and tumor cells of tumor biopsies, and markers of interferon [IFN] response/resistance and markers of resistance to ADCC/CDC in peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs]).

This phase II trial is studying how well saracatinib works in treating patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery. Saracatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth

Relapsed and/or refractory neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and melanoma are considered difficult to treat and cure. For this study we are testing the use of a new experimental (investigational) antibody called hu14.18K322A. GD2 is expressed on the surface of most of these tumor types. Two schedules of hu14.18K322A antibody will be evaluated in this study, (1) daily for four consecutive days schedule every 28 days and (2) once weekly for 4 weeks schedule every 28 days. Approximately 25-40 participants will be required to define the maximum tolerated dose for each schedule. Participants will continue on treatment for a maximum of 4 to 8 courses or until one or more of the criteria for off-treatment are met.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma of the eye that cannot be removed by surgery.

The present protocol is a phase 2 study designed to investigate the potential application of allogeneic cell-mediated immunotherapy in metastatic solid tumors, similarly to the well established graft versus leukemia (GVL) effects, in patients with metastatic solid tumors resistant to conventional treatment modalities. Patients will be eligible to participate in a treatment program based on systemic administration of mismatched lymphocytes activated in vitro with rIL-2 (LAK) followed by rIL-2 inoculation in vivo. This treatment is aiming to induce an anti-tumor effect mediated by the efficient killing activity of the rIL-2 activated cells. Prior to cell infusion patients will receive the conditioning treatment with low dose Cyclophosphamide (Cyc) or Fludarabine with 2 injections of low dose alpha interferon. Cell therapy will be combined with specific anti-tumor monoclonal antibodies if available for the specific disease. Further activation of the anti-tumor activity of alloreactive donor T cells and natural killer (NK) cells will be accomplished by in vivo inoculation of rIL-2, aiming for enhancing the anti-cancer potential of donor-derived effectors cells. Patients will receive one - three cycles of cell therapy, as long as there are no signs of Graft- versus - Host - disease (GVHD) and the malignant disease is controlled.