Active clinical trials for "Melanoma"

This study examines the safety of treating patients with advanced stage melanoma with the vaccine CADI-05. In addition, preliminary data regarding the clinical response and immune response will be collected.

Primary objective: To evaluate the clinical activity of the vaccine regimen, as indicated by progression-free survival versus the clinical activity of the reference treatment. Secondary objectives: Safety: To describe the safety profile in both treatment groups. Efficacy: To determine the objective clinical responses of patients in both treatment groups: complete response and partial response.

This will show if CP-675,206 can be administered safely as an intravenous infusion lasting one hour. CP 675,206 already has been administered to 835 subjects over 1.0 - 7.5 hours.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether giving paclitaxel together with carboplatin is more effective than giving temozolomide alone in treating patients with melanoma. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving paclitaxel together with carboplatin or giving temozolomide alone works in treating patients with stage IV melanoma.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if treatment with Temodar (temozolomide), Velban (vinblastine), Cisplatin, Proleukin (interleukin-2), Intron-A (interferon alpha), and thalidomide can help to control melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body. The safety of this treatment will also be studied.

This is a Phase I study looking at the combination of Valproic Acid (VPA) and Karenitecin to treat patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. We will find the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and the highest dose (maximum tolerated dose) of this combination treatment that has acceptable side effects and recommend a Phase II dose level. There will be seven escalating doses of Valproic acid and one dose escalation step of Karenitecin. Each patient shall receive one cycle of Karenitecin alone (cycle 1 days 1 - 5) followed by the same dose of Karenitecin given in combination with VPA (cycle 2 days 1-7). Patients will receive oral VPA in divided doses for 5 days and Karenitecin starting on the 3rd day every 3 weeks (a treatment cycle). Treatment will continue until progression of disease or an unacceptable level of toxicity. After 2 cycles of treatment there will be the first efficacy evaluation or restaging of the disease. In the absence of disease progression and if there is continued safety and tolerability, treatment may continue.

This is a Phase 2, multicenter, research study determining the effects of an investigational drug called volociximab in metastatic melanoma. The purpose of the study is to compare the clinical benefit and safety of volociximab. Pharmacokinetics and mechanism of action will also be evaluated.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as fotemustine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving the drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving fotemustine as an intravenous infusion is more effective than giving it as a hepatic arterial infusion in treating liver metastases. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying intravenous infusion of fotemustine to see how well it works compared to hepatic arterial infusion of fotemustine in treating patients with unresectable liver metastases from eye melanoma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining temozolomide with radiation therapy may make the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving temozolomide together with radiation therapy works in treating patients with stage IV malignant melanoma with measurable and unresectable cancer limited to the central nervous system.

MEK is a critical member of the MAPK pathway involved in growth and survival of cancer cells. PD-325901 is a new drug designed to block this pathway and kill cancer cells. The purpose of this study is to study the effectiveness of PD-325901 in patients with colon cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma. PD-325901 will be given by mouth as a pill twice a day, CT scans will be done and biopsies will be taken of a tumor before and once during treatment to measure the effects of the drug. Blood samples will be taken to measure the amount of drug in the blood.