Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Immunotoxins can locate tumor cells and kill them without harming normal cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of immunotoxin therapy and to see how well it works in treating children undergoing surgery for recurrent or progressive malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Imaging procedures that use aminolevulinic acid (ALA) may help find and diagnose residual tumor in participants with grade IV malignant astrocytoma who are undergoing surgery to remove the tumor. PURPOSE: Our primary long-term goal is to improve the completeness of surgical resection of malignant brain tumor through image- guided fluorescence localization. We hypothesize that the use of qualitative fluorescence imaging and point PpIX concentration quantification will enable more complete tumor resection than normal direct (i.e., white light) visualization, and thereby improve participant survival.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies, such as lymphokine-activated killer cells, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as Gliadel wafer, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether lymphokine-activated killer cells are more effective than Gliadel wafer in treating patients with glioblastoma multiforme. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well lymphokine-activated killer cells work compared with Gliadel wafer in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme that can be removed by surgery.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether [18F]FHBG is suitable for use as an imaging probe in cancer or rheumatoid arthritis patients enrolled in cell or gene therapy trials. In this phase 1 study we will assess the safety and biodistribution of [18F]FHBG in patients.

RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), (done before, during, and after treatment) may help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and help plan the best treatment. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well MRI and MRSI evaluate patients who are undergoing treatment for gliomas.

RATIONALE: New imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging may improve the ability to detect the extent of newly diagnosed cancer. PURPOSE: Diagnostic study of magnetic resonance imaging to determining the extent of cancer in patients who have newly diagnosed glioma.

This phase Ib trial investigates the side effects of the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab, and to see how well they work in treating patients with cancers that have come back (relapsed) or does not respond to treatment (refractory) and have an increased number of genetic changes. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is the total amount of genetic changes or "mutations" found in tumor cells. Some studies in adults with cancer have shown that patients with a higher TMB (an increased number of genetic changes) are more likely to respond to immunotherapy drugs. There is also evidence that nivolumab and ipilimumab can shrink or stabilize cancer in adult patients with cancer. This study is being done to help doctors learn if the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab can help children, adolescents, and young adults patients live longer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well temozolomide works in treating patients with invasive pituitary tumors.

RATIONALE: Osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption uses certain drugs, such as mannitol, to open the blood vessels around the brain and allow tumor-killing substances to be carried directly to the brain. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as methotrexate and carboplatin, 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 trastuzumab, 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. Trastuzumab may also help methotrexate and carboplatin work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drugs. Giving osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption together with methotrexate, carboplatin, and trastuzumab may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of carboplatin when given together with methotrexate and trastuzumab after mannitol in treating women with breast cancer that has spread to the brain.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. O(6)-benzylguanine may increase the effectiveness of carmustine by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining carmustine with O(6)-benzylguanine in treating patients who have newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme.