Active clinical trials for "Melanoma"

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if precisely-targeted radiation therapy, known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SART), given during treatment with the drug ipilimumab (Yervoy) will improve survival for patients with melanoma that has spread to five or fewer sites (oligometastatic). Blood samples will be collected for research purposes. Planned studies include exploration of certain gene mutations and serum markers as predictors of response to ipilimumab treatment. Research lab studies will also evaluate if circulating tumor cells (CTC) can be accurately detected and isolated from the blood using novel laboratory techniques and if they are a prognostic/predictive marker for treatment response. Test results will not be given to participants or their physicians. In some cases, CTC may be grown for long-term cell lines for further research.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether SentoClone® gives improved treatment responses in patients with advanced malignant melanoma in comparison to established reference treatment(s).

RATIONALE: Studying the genes expressed in samples of tumor tissue from patients with cancer may help doctors identify biomarkers related to cancer. PURPOSE: This research study is looking at tumor tissue samples from patients with stage I, stage II, or stage III malignant melanoma.

This is a randomised, double-blind placebo controlled phase 2 trial. Patient will be randomly assigned 1:1 between 2 treatment arms. They will receive either docetaxel 75mg/m2 IV and placebo given bd, or AZD6244 75mg bd daily with docetaxel 75mg/m2 IV. Docetaxel will be administered every 3 weeks for a maximum 6 cycles, but AZD6244/placebo may be continued beyond this, until disease progression. The objective is to assess whether the combination of AZD6244 with docetaxel is worthy of evaluation in a definitive randomised study, with the null hypothesis being that the combination has activity similar to that of docetaxel alone in this population. After consent has been obtained mutational analysis of tumour BRAF will be performed on archival tumour tissue, where this information is not already known, to assess eligibility for the study. If there is no archival tissue a fresh biopsy will be requested from the patient. A blood sample will also be taken for future genetic analysis. Once taking part in the trial patients will need to attend their oncology unit regularly for monitoring and the delivery of treatment. Patients will undergo complete physical examination at screening, on C1D1, C1D8, C1D15, C2D1, C2D8 and day 1 of every subsequent cycle. Blood for haematology, biochemistry and clotting will be taken at each of these visits. A 12 lead ECG will be performed at screening . Disease assessment will be by CT scanning using modified RECIST criteria after 9 and 18 weeks, then every 3 months until disease progression.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from peptides may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Colony-stimulating factors such as sargramostim may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood. Combining vaccine therapy with sargramostim may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase I trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy with or without sargramostim in treating patients who have metastatic melanoma.

This is a research study to look at the ways in which a treatment called INGN241 can kill melanoma cells or help the patient's immune system kill melanoma cells.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells combined with melanoma antigens may make the body build an immune response to tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 may be an effective treatment for stage III or stage IV melanoma. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy with or without interleukin-2 in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV melanoma that cannot be surgically removed.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Electroporation therapy may enhance the ability of chemotherapy drugs to enter tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy with electroporation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase I trial to compare the effectiveness of bleomycin with or without electroporation therapy in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV melanoma.

RATIONALE: Boron neutron capture therapy may selectively kill tumor cells without harming normal tissue. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of boron neuron capture therapy in treating patients with stage III melanoma.

RATIONALE: Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of interleukin-2 in treating patients who have metastatic melanoma.