Active clinical trials for "Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a"

This phase II trial studies how well sorafenib tosylate works in treating patients with medullary thyroid cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), spread to the tissue surrounding the thyroid (locally advanced), or has returned after a period of improvement (recurrent). Sorafenib tosylate 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.

CoRDS, or the Coordination of Rare Diseases at Sanford, is based at Sanford Research in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It provides researchers with a centralized, international patient registry for all rare diseases. This program allows patients and researchers to connect as easily as possible to help advance treatments and cures for rare diseases. The CoRDS team works with patient advocacy groups, individuals and researchers to help in the advancement of research in over 7,000 rare diseases. The registry is free for patients to enroll and researchers to access. Visit sanfordresearch.org/CoRDS to enroll.

NOTE: This is a research study and is not meant to be a substitute for clinical genetic testing. Families may never receive results from the study or may receive results many years from the time they enroll. If you are interested in clinical testing please consider seeing a local genetic counselor or other genetics professional. If you have already had clinical genetic testing and meet eligibility criteria for this study as shown in the Eligibility Section, you may enroll regardless of the results of your clinical genetic testing. While it is well recognized that hereditary factors contribute to the development of a subset of human cancers, the cause for many cancers remains unknown. The application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has expanded knowledge in the field of hereditary cancer predisposition. Currently, more than 100 cancer predisposing genes have been identified, and it is now estimated that approximately 10% of all cancer patients have an underlying genetic predisposition. The purpose of this protocol is to identify novel cancer predisposing genes and/or genetic variants. For this study, the investigators will establish a Data Registry linked to a Repository of biological samples. Health information, blood samples and occasionally leftover tumor samples will be collected from individuals with familial cancer. The investigators will use NGS approaches to find changes in genes that may be important in the development of familial cancer. The information gained from this study may provide new and better ways to diagnose and care for people with hereditary cancer. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Establish a registry of families with clustering of cancer in which clinical data are linked to a repository of cryopreserved blood cells, germline DNA, and tumor tissues from the proband and other family members. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: Identify novel cancer predisposing genes and/or genetic variants in families with clustering of cancer for which the underlying genetic basis is unknown.

Background: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is common in people with a genetic disorder called multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN). Vandetanib is an experimental drug that blocks a defective protein receptor (rearranged during transfection (RET) receptor) found on the surface of cancer cells in people with MEN. It is thought that this protein is a primary cause of MTC in people with MEN. Objectives: To study the activity of Vandetanib in children and adolescents with MEN-related MTC by measuring the change in tumor size, in blood levels of proteins produced the tumor (calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and in tumor-related diarrhea. To determine the safety and tolerability of Vandetanib in children and adolescents. To study how the body handles Vandetanib in children and adolescents. To determine the effect of Vandetanib on the survival of children and adolescents with MTC. Eligibility: -Children and adolescents 5 to 18 years of age with MTC whose tumor cannot be surgically removed or has grown back after treatment or has metastasized (spread beyond the thyroid gland). Design: Patients take Vandetanib once a day in 28-day cycles. The first patients enrolled in the study are started on a low dose of Vandetanib to determine tolerability. Patients have periodic blood tests, electrocardiograms, and blood pressure measurements to look for side effects of Vandetanib. Blood tests and imaging scans (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), bone and octreoscan) are done every 8 weeks for the first 32 weeks of treatment and then every 16 weeks for the duration of the treatment period. Patients who have tumor-related diarrhea keep a daily record of the number and consistency of bowel movements.

This will be a Phase II, open label study to establish the effect of once-daily oral doses of ZD6474 100mg in subjects with locally advanced or metastatic hereditary medullary thyroid cancer in whom no standard therapeutic option is available.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of veliparib when given together with capecitabine and temozolomide in treating patients with neuroendocrine tumor that has spread to other places in the body and usually cannot be cured or controlled with treatment, has returned after a period of improvement, and cannot be removed by surgery. Veliparib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine and temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading.

Background: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare malignancy, occurring either as a sporadic disease (75% of cases), or in a hereditary pattern as multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2 (MEN2A or MEN2B) or familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). The MTC arises from the neural crest C-cells and in hereditary cases the first pathological disorder is C-cell hyperplasia (CCH) Most patients with MTC have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy have been minimally effective. Molecular targeted therapeutics (MTTs) and other receptor kinases in patients with advanced MTC have demonstrated activity. Despite some clinical responses, the collection of tumor tissues and autologous normal tissues has been virtually non-existent. Thus, laboratory studies defining affected molecular targets and downstream pathways, and molecular data providing direction for future clinical trials has yet to occur. Data from molecular studies of tumor tissue of hereditary or sporadic MTC patients will assist in predicting clinical behavior and the biology of MTC in predicting response to a given MTT, and in designing combination clinical trials. Objectives: Clarify how normal molecular pathways are altered by mutations in the RET protooncogene. Including additional genetic mutations and unidentified chromosomal translocations. Correlate results from molecular analyses of MTC tissue with patient s clinical course. Define how the molecular and clinical data will be useful in designing targeted therapy for patients with MTC. Eligibility: Patients must have confirmed diagnosis of C-cell hyperplasia, primary MTC, or metastatic MTC with archived pathology specimens available at Washington University. Design: Paraffin blocks of MTC tissues from archival samples at Washington University Department of Pathology will be selected. H&E slide from selected tissue blocks will be examined for molecular study suitability. Necessary tissue samples from blocks will have molecular studies, including, gene arrays, array comparative genomic hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and sequencing. Retrospective chart review will occur to obtain relevant clinical information.