Active clinical trials for "Breast Neoplasms"

This is an open phase II study evaluating the efficacy and safety of the non pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Myocet®), trastuzumab (Herceptin®), and docetaxel (Taxotere®) combination as first-line treatment of patients with metastatic HER2/neu positive breast cancer.

Zoledronic acid selectively binds to bone and protects it from being metastasized by tumor cells. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of zoledronic acid when added to standard therapies in breast cancer patients with metastatic bone lesions.

RATIONALE: Dose-dense scheduling with (peg)filgrastim support may improve the clinical and pathologic complete response rate (pCR) and safety profile of single agent neoadjuvant docetaxel therapy. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether dose-dense scheduling with (peg)filgrastim support may improve the clinical and pathologic complete response rate (pCR) and safety profile of single agent neoadjuvant docetaxel therapy. To determine the changes in molecular markers that occurs with single agent docetaxel, tissue will be obtained at the end of the four cycles of docetaxel (either by repeat biopsy or definitive surgery).

There is an intimate relationship between processes which promote growth, invasion, and metastasis of cancers, and processes which regulate blood clotting. The enzymes uPA and PAI-1 are key regulators of the remodeling of recently formed blood clots, and there is substantial information linking greater levels of uPA and PAI-1 in breast cancers with a greater likelihood of breast cancer recurrence and death. As uPA and PAI-1 are excellent markers for a cancer's aggressive clinical behavior, uPA and PAI-1 may be potential targets for anticancer therapy. Aprotinin is an inhibitor of uPA activation, and has been approved by the FDA to reduce blood loss in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Studies in animals and limited studies in patients have shown that Aprotinin slows the growth of tumors. Our hypothesis is that uPA is chronically activated in malignancies, and that inhibition of uPA by Aprotinin would slow the rate of progression of breast cancer.

RATIONALE: Estrogen can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. Naltrexone may fight breast cancer by blocking the use of estrogen by the tumor cells. Naltrexone may also stop the growth of breast cancer by impairing blood flow to the tumor. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well naltrexone works in treating women with metastatic breast cancer that is no longer responsive to previous hormone therapy.

Breast cancer and osteoporosis are two of the most frequent diseases in women. Estrogen may be associated with bone loss and the risk of breast cancer because of its potent effects on the mitotic activity of breast epithelium and on bone turnover. This study is will assess the safety and efficacy of Zoledronic acid 4 mg, given every 3 months over 24 months, in improving bone mineral density in premenopausal women with hormone receptor negative breast cancer and adjuvant chemotherapeutic treatment compared to placebo. This study is not recruiting patients in the United States.

RATIONALE: Estrogen can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. Hormone therapy using letrozole may fight breast cancer by lowering the amount of estrogen the body makes. Lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving letrozole together with lapatinib before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well giving letrozole together with lapatinib works in treating postmenopausal women with stage I, stage II, or stage III breast cancer that can be removed by surgery.

RATIONALE: Celecoxib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth and by stopping blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known which regimen of celecoxib is more effective in treating breast cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of two regimens of celecoxib in treating women who have metastatic or recurrent breast cancer

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapy and a combination of vaccines to treat metastatic breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast) in patients whose cancer cells have a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on their surface. Patients who require surgery or radiation therapy, or both, will receive these treatments as well. Patients 18 years of age and older with previously untreated metastatic breast cancer may be eligible for this study. Newly diagnosed patients may not have received prior chemotherapy. Patients previously diagnosed with local disease may have received chemotherapy or radiation therapy at least 18 months before entering the current study. Patients may have received hormonal therapy for stage IV disease. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, blood and urine tests, x-rays, heart and lung tests, and a test to determine the presence of CEA on their tumor cells. Participants undergo the following procedures: Central venous line: Under local or general anesthesia, an intravenous catheter (plastic tube) is inserted into a major vein in the chest. It is used to give chemotherapy and other medications and to withdraw blood samples. Apheresis: Before beginning treatment and at various times before and after chemotherapy, patients undergo apheresis to collect white blood cells for later re-infusion at the time of immunizations and to evaluate the body's response to the vaccines. For this procedure, blood is collected through the central venous catheter and circulated through a machine that separates the white cells from the rest of the blood. The white cells are removed and frozen for later use. The rest of the blood is returned to the patient through the catheter. First vaccine: Before starting chemotherapy, patients receive one subcutaneous (under the skin) injection of a vaccine called rV-CEA-Tricom, along with subcutaneous injections of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (Sargramostim), a drug that stimulates the bone marrow to release white blood cells and white cell precursors into the bloodstream. Chemotherapy: Taxol (paclitaxel)/Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide): Patients receive three to five cycles of Taxol and Cytoxan. Taxol is given as a continuous 72-hour intravenous (intravenous (IV), through a vein) infusion and Cytoxan is given daily for 3 days, intravenously, over 1 hour. Cycles are 21 to 42 (usually 28) days. After each cycle, patients also receive growth colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) (a drug that helps boost white cells.

RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vinorelbine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining vaccine therapy with monoclonal antibody therapy and chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving vaccine therapy together with trastuzumab and vinorelbine works in treating women with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.