Active clinical trials for "Melanoma"

RATIONALE: Biological therapies, such as hu14.18-interleukin-2 fusion protein, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well hu14.18-interleukin-2 fusion protein works in treating patients with advanced melanoma.

This study will test whether an experimental drug called Revlimid (lenalidomide) can reduce tumor size and prolong survival in patients with metastatic melanoma (melanoma that has spread beyond the original tumor site). It will also examine the toxicity and blood effects of Revlimid. Patients 18 years of age and older with stage IV ocular melanoma may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical and examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan and other imaging scans if needed, such as a bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, or positron emission tomography (PET). Participants are admitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center for 24 hours for their first oral dose of Revlimid. During the hospital stay, blood is drawn before the dose is given and again at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 24 hours after dosing to see how the body handles the drug. If the drug is well tolerated, patients are sent home with a 21-day supply of drug to take once a day for 21 days, then go off drug 7 days. This regimen constitutes one 28-day treatment cycle. Treatment cycles may continue for up to 2 years. Patients keep a daily diary of side effects and have blood drawn once a week. The drug dose may be adjusted according to the laboratory test results. If unacceptable toxicity occurs, treatment may be stopped. Patients who agree to be biopsied undergo this procedure before treatment begins and at the end of treatment cycles 3 and 6. A small area of skin is numbed with medicine and a small piece of tumor is removed with a needle or by a small cut in the tumor. The tissue is examined under a microscope. Patients return to NIH after the first month of treatment and then every 3 months to evaluate their tumors and treatment of side effects. The visits include a physical examination, x-rays and scans to evaluate tumors. Visits are scheduled every 3 months while on treatment; then every 3 months for 2 years afterwards; then every 4 months for 1 year; and as needed after that. Patients will have a brain magnetic resonance imaging scan once a year to watch for new tumor areas.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin, 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 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin works in treating patients with metastatic malignant melanoma.

The purpose of this study is to find out what effects (good and/or bad) this new cancer vaccine has on the patient and their cancer, whether it is safe and whether it can help get rid of their cancer (malignant melanoma). We want to check how the patient's immune system reacts, both before and after the vaccine treatment.

RATIONALE: Interferon beta may interfere with the growth of tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well interferon beta works in treating patients with metastatic cutaneous (skin) melanoma or ocular (eye) melanoma.

RATIONALE: Inserting a gene that has been created in the laboratory into a person's white blood cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Combining gene-modified white blood cell infusions with interleukin-2 and vaccine therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying how well giving gene-modified white blood cells when given together with interleukin-2 and vaccine therapy works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma.

This is a Phase II, non-randomized, open label study of ILX651 in patients with inoperable locally advanced or metastatic melanoma. Approximately 60 patients will be enrolled in this study that is expected to last 18 months. All patients will be treated with ILX651 administered IV daily for 5 consecutive days once every 21 days. The primary objective of this study is to determine the overall response rate for all patients who are treated with ILX651. The secondary objectives are to determine the progression free survival at 18 weeks, duration of response, time to tumor progression, survival, safety/tolerability of ILX651 and to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether vaccination with tumor antigenic peptides and both CpG and Montanide adjuvants can induce an immune response in melanoma patients and to assess the safety of this vaccination.

This study is an open-label, dose-escalating study to delineate the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of TKI258. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will be performed on all subjects. The eligible subject population consists of subjects who have been diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic melanoma that is refractory to standard therapy or for which no curative standard therapy exists.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether combination therapy with bevacizumab (Avastin), dacarbazine and interferon-alfa-2a (Roferon-A) is effective in patients with locally advancing or metastatic melanoma.