Active clinical trials for "Melanoma"

SUMMARY: Metronomic Therapy in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma: A Phase II Study of Low Dose Vinblastine, Cyclophosphamide, and Dacarbazine. Patients with measurable metastatic melanoma are eligible. All patients will be treated as outlined below with combined vinblastine, cyclophosphamide, and dacarbazine. Patients will be treated continuously, until evidence of progression of disease, or for up to two cycles following disappearance of all disease. A cycle will be defined as three weeks of continuous therapy with a one week rest.

This study is being done to evaluate the safety and the clinical activity of MAGE-A3 Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic in patients with unresectable and progressive metastatic cutaneous melanoma.

This phase II trial is studying how well gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 works in treating patients with stage IV melanoma. Gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

The goal of this clinical research study is to find the highest tolerable dose of LOC-paclitaxel when given to patients with metastatic melanoma. The safety of this drug and if it can control the disease is also being studied.

The clinical trial is evaluating a multi-component active immunotherapy designed to stimulate an immune reaction to specific tumor associated antigens which are highly expressed on melanoma

The objective of the present trial is to evaluate the local and general safety of the intratumoural electrotransfer of increasing doses of Plasmid AMEP in patients suffering from advanced or metastatic melanoma and to identify doses that could be effective on cutaneous lesions in man.

RATIONALE: Specialized radiation therapy that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well conformal radiation therapy works in treating patients with metastatic cancer outside the brain.

Background: -This study uses an experimental cancer treatment that uses the patient s own lymphocytes (type of white blood cell), which are specially selected and genetically modified to target and destroy their tumor. Objectives: -To test the safety of the treatment and determine if it can cause the patient s tumor to shrink. Eligibility: Patients greater than 18 years and less than or equal to 66 years of age whose cancer has spread beyond the original site and does not respond to standard treatment. Patients have tissue type human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*0201. Patients cancer cells have the ESO-1 gene. Design: Workup: Patients have scans, x-rays, laboratory tests, and other tests as needed. Patients have leukapheresis to collect cells for laboratory treatment and later reinfusion. For this procedure, whole blood is collected thorough a tube in a vein, the desired cells are extracted from the blood, and the rest of the blood is returned to the patient. Chemotherapy: Patients have low-dose chemotherapy for 1 week to prepare the immune system to receive the treated lymphocytes. Cell infusion and aldesleukin (IL-2) treatment: Patients receive the lymphocytes by a 30-minute infusion through a vein. Starting within 24 hours of the infusion, they receive high-dose aldesleukin infusions every 8 hours for up to 5 days (maximum15 doses). Recovery: Patients rest for 1 to 2 weeks to recover from the effects of chemotherapy and aldesleukin. Tumor biopsy: Patients may be asked to undergo a biopsy (surgical removal of a small piece of tumor) after treatment to look at the effects of treatment on the immune cells in the tumor. Follow-up: After treatment is completed, patients return to the clinic once a month for several months for physical examinations, a review of side effects, laboratory tests and scans. They may undergo leukapheresis at some visits to look at the effect of treatment on the immune system and check the viability of the infused cells. Patients then return to the National Institute of Health (NIH) clinic once a year for 5 years and then complete a follow-up questionnaire for another 10 years. Retreatment: Patients whose tumor shrinks or disappears following treatment and then recurs may receive one additional treatment, using the same regimen of chemotherapy, lymphocyte infusion and IL-2 treatment.

This research study is testing the "chemo-switch" strategy in melanoma, using biochemotherapy initially to shrink tumors and then switching to daily low-dose chemotherapy (temozolomide) together with sorafenib. The purpose of this study is to find out what effects (good and bad) biochemotherapy followed by temozolomide plus sorafenib have on melanoma.

RATIONALE: Riluzole may stop or slow the growth of tumor cells and may be an effective treatment for melanoma. PURPOSE: This early phase I trial is studying how well riluzole works in treating patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma that can be removed by surgery.