Active clinical trials for "Melanoma"

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.

The goal of this study is to find out if some people are more likely to get melanoma, a form of skin cancer, than others are. To do this we will compare people who have had more than one melanoma to people who have had only one melanoma and to people who are similar but who have not developed melanoma. People respond to the environment in different ways. Some may be born with genes that make them more likely to get this type of skin cancer. Each person has many ways to repair normal damage to their genes. Specific genes may affect the repair of sun damage. Other genes affect the way the skin itself reacts to the sun. We want to find out which genes have normal changes in them and lead to different responses to exposures, such as the sun. We also want to find out if sun habits are related to the way these genes work.

RATIONALE: Interleukin-7 may stimulate the white blood cells to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of interleukin-7 in treating patients with metastatic melanoma or locally advanced or metastatic kidney cancer.

Background: Human peripheral blood lymphocytes have been engineered to express a T-cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a blood type, human leukocyte antigen (HLA-A*0201) derived from the gp100 protein. A retroviral vector was constructed that can deliver the TCR to cells. This gene-engineered cell is over 10 times more reactive with melanoma cells than is the melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells (MART-1) TCR that resulted in tumor shrinkage for two patients with metastatic melanoma. Objectives: To determine whether an anti-melanoma protein receptor can be put in cells removed from patients' tumors or blood and then reinfused, with the purpose of shrinking tumors. To evaluate safety and effectiveness of the treatment. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age or older with metastatic cancer melanoma (cancer that has spread beyond the original site). Patient's leukocyte antigen type is HLA-A*0201. Design: -Patients undergo the following procedures: Leukapheresis (on two occasions). This is a method of collecting large numbers of white blood cells. The cells obtained in the first leukapheresis procedure are grown in the laboratory, and the anti-gp100 protein is inserted into the cells using an inactivated (harmless) virus in a process called retroviral transduction. Cells collected in the second leukapheresis procedure are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the study treatment. Chemotherapy. Patients are given chemotherapy through a vein (intravenously, IV) over 1 hour for 2 days to suppress the immune system so that the patient's immune cells do not interfere with the treatment. Treatment with anti-gp100. Patients receive an IV infusion of the treated cells containing anti-gp100 protein, followed by infusions of a drug called IL-2 (aldesleukin), which helps boost the effectiveness of the treated white cells. Patients are given support medications to prevent complications such as infections. Patients may undergo a tumor biopsy (removal of a small piece of tumor tissue). Patients are evaluated with laboratory tests and imaging tests, such as CT scans, 4 to 6 weeks after treatment and then once a month for 3 to 4 months to determine the response to treatment. Patients have blood tests at 3, 6, and 12 months and then annually for 5 years.

The purposes of this study are to determine whether immunization with the MAGE-3.A1 peptide mixed with CpG 7909 results in a detectable immune response; to determine the safety of this vaccine and to document the tumor response to the vaccine.

RATIONALE: Boron neutron capture therapy using boronophenylalanine-fructose complex may kill tumor cells without harming normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well boron neutron capture therapy using boronophenylalanine-fructose complex works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma.

This randomized phase II trial is studying how well cilengitide works in treating patients with unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma. Cilengitide may stop the growth of melanoma by stopping blood flow to the tumor.

This phase II trial is studying how well tanespimycin works in treating patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma. Antitumor antibiotics such as tanespimycin may stop the growth of melanoma by stopping blood flow to the tumor.