Active clinical trials for "Mesothelioma, Malignant"

RATIONALE: Video-assisted surgery to remove part of the tissue layer covering the inside of the chest cavity may be effective in treating pleural effusion and cause less damage to normal tissue. Talc pleurodesis may keep fluid from building up in the chest cavity. It is not yet known which therapy is more effective in treating pleural effusion caused by malignant mesothelioma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying video-assisted surgery to see how well it works compared with talc pleurodesis in treating patients with malignant mesothelioma.

For patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma that has grown despite treatment with standard chemotherapy, no treatment has yet proven beneficial. The purpose of this study is to find out what effects, both good and bad, that everolimus has on the cancer. Everolimus works by blocking a protein that helps the cancer grow. The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if the study drug everolimus can shrink or slow the growth of mesothelioma. The safety of this drug will also be studied. The patients' physical state, changes in the size of the tumor, and laboratory findings taken during the study will help us decide if everolimus is safe and effective.

This phase II trial is studying how well PXD101 works as second-line therapy in treating patients with malignant mesothelioma of the chest that cannot be removed by surgery. PXD101 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving bortezomib together with cisplatin may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving bortezomib together with cisplatin works as first-line therapy in treating patients with malignant mesothelioma.

To estimate the time to progression of cancer in patients with previously untreated mesothelioma receiving cisplatin, pemetrexed and bevacizumab

To investigate efficacy and safety of pemetrexed combined with cisplatin for chemo-naive patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as pemetrexed disodium, gemcitabine, and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving pemetrexed disodium with gemcitabine is more effective than giving pemetrexed disodium with carboplatin in treating malignant pleural mesothelioma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying pemetrexed disodium with gemcitabine and pemetrexed disodium with carboplatin to see how well the combinations work compared to historical controls in treating patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma.

This phase II trial is studying how well sorafenib works in treating patients with malignant mesothelioma. Sorafenib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the combination of the investigational drugs Avastin and Tarceva are effective in patients with mesothelioma who have previously been treated with chemotherapy.

Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of gefitinib in treating patients who have malignant mesothelioma. Biological therapies such as gefitinib may interfere with the growth of the tumor cells and slow the growth of malignant mesothelioma