Active clinical trials for "Esophageal Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Sunitinib malate 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. It is not yet known whether capecitabine is more effective when given alone or together with sunitinib malate in treating patients with metastatic esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well capecitabine works compared with capecitabine given together with sunitinib malate as first-line therapy in treating patients with metastatic cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin, floxuridine, docetaxel, and leucovorin, 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. 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 how well combination chemotherapy works in treating patients with previously untreated stage II or stage III esophageal cancer that can be removed by surgery.

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. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Giving more than one chemotherapy drug (combination chemotherapy) together with cetuximab may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying three different combination chemotherapy regimens to compare how well they work when given together with cetuximab in treating patients with metastatic esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Lapatinib may help paclitaxel work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. Lapatinib may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving lapatinib together with paclitaxel may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of lapatinib when given together with paclitaxel in treating patients with advanced solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin and docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving bevacizumab together with oxaliplatin and docetaxel may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving bevacizumab together with oxaliplatin and docetaxel works in treating patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic stomach or gastroesophageal junction cancer.

This is a study to investigate the efficacy and safety of epirubicin, cisplatin and capecitabine (ECX) as neoadjuvant therapy prior to radical chemoradiotherapy using capecitabine and cisplatin as radio-sensitisers in patients with newly diagnosed localized squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.

The purpose of this study is to clarify efficacy and toxicity of daily low-dose Nedaplatin (CDGP) and continuous infusion of 5-FU combined with radiation in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy 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 more than one drug with radiation therapy before surgery may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery in treating patients with cancer of the esophagus that can be surgically removed.

RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Colony-stimulating factors such as sargramostim may increase the number of immune cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill cancer cells. Combining vaccine therapy, sargramostim, and interleukin-2 may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy, sargramostim, and interleukin-2 in treating patients who have advanced tumors.

RATIONALE: Gefitinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well gefitinib works in treating patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.