Active clinical trials for "Breast Neoplasms"

This study is for the patient with breast cancer. To take part in this study, external beam radiation therapy needs to be part of the treatment plan. Reduced glutathione, an ingredient of RayGel™, has been helpful in decreasing some radiation therapy side effects to the skin. Reduced glutathione plays a vital role in both making DNA and cell repair. This study will measure if RayGel decreases skin reaction in breast cancer patients treated with external beam radiation therapy.

RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures such as MRI scans may help predict early response to treatment in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying MRI in predicting early response to chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer.

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of a broccoli sprout preparation on specific factors in breast tissue that are related to breast cancer risk and to assess whether sulforaphane a key component of broccoli sprouts increases the levels of protective enzymes in breast tissue. In addition, the investigators will also examine how acceptable the broccoli sprouts preparation is to the study participants.

RATIONALE: Vandetanib 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 docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving vandetanib together with docetaxel may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vandetanib given together with docetaxel in treating patients with advanced solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as positron emission tomography (PET) using 3'-deoxy-3'-(18F) fluorothymidine, may be effective in assessing the response to chemotherapy before surgery in treating locally advanced breast cancer. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well positron emission tomography using 3'-deoxy-3'-(18F) fluorothymidine works in treating women with locally advanced cancer in one breast who are receiving chemotherapy.

This phase II trial is studying how well F-18 16 alpha-fluoroestradiol (FES) imaging works in predicting response to first-line hormone therapy in women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. Diagnostic procedures, such as FES imaging, may help predict how well patients will respond to hormone therapy and may help plan the best treatment.

RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as multifunctional magnetic resonance imaging and CT scans, may help reduce normal tissue damage in patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well radiation therapy planning techniques work in reducing damage to normal tissue in women undergoing breast-conserving surgery for ductal breast carcinoma.

Bone Mineral Density (BMD) as measured by X-ray shows the amount of calcium in the bone. Low BMD may reflect osteoporosis, a condition where there is an increased risk of fracture. Women who have gone through menopause have a higher risk of getting osteoporosis because they lose calcium from their bones much faster than younger women. Women with breast cancer may have an additional risk for getting osteoporosis because of the effects of their treatment with chemotherapy. The purpose of this study is to see what levels of BMD post-menopausal women with breast cancer have, and to see if the level of BMD changes during a women's treatment after her surgery. This trial studies changes in BMD and markers of bone activity in women receiving treatment for early stage breast cancer.

RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as optical spectroscopy, may help learn the extent of disease and allow doctors to plan better treatment. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying optical spectroscopy to see how well it works in evaluating tumor margins in patients who have undergone surgery for breast cancer.

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. Giving chemotherapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying surgery to remove the sentinel lymph node and axillary lymph nodes after chemotherapy in treating women with stage II, stage IIIA, or stage IIIB breast cancer.