Active clinical trials for "Pancreatic Neoplasms"

SUMMARY PROJECT TITLE: Concurrent chemo-radiation using Tomotherapy based IMRT in locally advanced Gallbladder and Pancreatic cancers: A Phase II study SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: Primary To assess the radiological response by dose escalated IMRT in locally advanced inoperable gallbladder and pancreatic cancers. Secondary To assess the resectability rate with microscopic negative margin (R0). To assess the acute and late toxicities (Number of Participants with Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability) To study the locoregional control in the patients undergoing R0 resection To study overall survival DESIGN: Phase II study STUDY POPULATION: All patients of age >18 years years diagnosed with non metastatic locally advanced inoperable gall bladder and pancreatic cancer STUDY SIZE: 60 patients METHODOLOGY: Sixty cases will be screened and taken for study if eligible after taking the informed consent. Patients will receive radiotherapy using Tomotherapy based IMRT with concurrent chemotherapy Gemcitabine weekly. The response will evaluated at 6 weeks post chemoradiation and if operable will undergo surgery, if still inoperable or metastatic will receive palliative chemotherapy. PROJECT PERIOD: Total project period : 3 years Recruitment, Data collection : 2 years Complete analysis of data : 1 year STUDY SITE: Tata memorial centre

Pancreatic cancer presents with pain in the majority of cases. Destruction of the celiac ganglia by ultrasound guided injection of sclerosing agents such as alcohol is sometimes used for pain that no longer responds to treatment with narcotics. The investigators compare standard narcotic treatment to celiac plexus alcohol injection (celiac plexus neurolysis) and do so in patients with early, mild pain to see if celiac plexus neurolysis is more effective than narcotics and prevents escalating narcotic use.

Less than 20% of patients with malignant distal bile duct (BD) obstruction (often pancreatic cancer) are suitable for resection surgery.In the rest,palliation treatment comes into focus. Jaundice caused by BD obstruction gives pain, infection (cholangitis), often itching and increased weight loss, and the patient is stigmatized by the deep yellow colour of the skin.Therefore palliation with endoscopic stenting by ERCP-technique is important. Modern self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) are now widely used in this context. Comparison in a RCT between steel and nitinol SEMS has never been performed. The steel stent (Wallstent®) is the "original",is widely used, and has more expanding power. Nitinol stents are softer and claimed to be easier to insert,and are more and more popular.A newly developed nitinol stent (Wallflex®)may have these advantages, but is some 120 Euros more expensive. Regarding the most important outcome measure, time to stent failure (obstruction), no one knows if there is any difference.Our hypothesis is that there is no difference in this main outcome endpoint.

The investigators are to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FOLFOX or FOLFIRI.3 combination chemotherapy as second-line salvage chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine and capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gemcitabine given together with capecitabine and erlotinib in treating patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

The main purpose of this study will be to evaluate the toxicities as well as the efficacy of a chemotherapy regimen involving the combination of Gemzar, Taxotere, and Xeloda (GTX) in patients with pancreatic cancer, who have undergone complete surgical resection of their tumor. During the screening evaluation, subjects will have a physical exam and medical history taken by either the PI or a Co investigator. In addition, routine blood tests and radiological exams will be performed, to determine eligibility. Following enrollment, patients will receive 8 cycles (1 cycle = 21 days) of GTX treatment over 6 months. During each cycle patients will receive Gemzar and Taxotere on days 4 and 11, through an IV, over the course of approximately 2 hours, and Xeloda will be taken orally for the first 14 days of every cycle. Patients will receive no treatment on days 15 thru 21 of each cycle. During each cycle of treatment patients will have a physical examination, as well as routine blood work. The first scan will be done prior to initiation of treatment, and the next will be done at completion of chemotherapy. A short quality of life questionnaire will also be administered prior to cycle 1 treatment, at the 3-month point, and at the completion of chemotherapy.

This 2 part study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a combination of Avastin, Tarceva and Xeloda (ATX) as second-line treatment in patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic pancreatic cancer. In the first part of the study, cohorts of patients will receive escalating doses of combination treatment to determine the maximum tolerated dose. The recommended dose will be used in the second part of the study to determine the efficacy of the ATX regime, in terms of its effect on disease progression. The anticipated time on study treatment is 3-12 months, and the target sample size is <100 individuals.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of veliparib in treating patients with malignant solid tumors that do not respond to previous therapy. Veliparib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

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. Bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving paclitaxel together with bortezomib may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of paclitaxel and bortezomib in treating patients with metastatic or unresectable malignant solid tumors.

Argos Therapeutics, Inc., (Argos) proposes to study AGS-006 in a subject with newly diagnosed resectable pancreatic cancer. The AGS 006 immunotherapeutic may potentially offer a desired additional option to conventional treatments for pancreatic carcinoma.