Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Acupressure wristbands may prevent or reduce nausea and caused by chemotherapy. It is not yet known whether standard care is more effective with or without acupressure wristbands in controlling acute and delayed nausea. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying how well acupressure wristbands work with or without standard care in controlling nausea in young patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

RATIONALE: Modafinil may be effective in relieving fatigue and improving behavioral changes such as memory loss in patients who have undergone treatment for primary brain cancer. The effectiveness of modafinil in relieving fatigue and improving behavioral change is not yet known. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is comparing how well two different doses of modafinil work in treating fatigue and behavioral changes in patients who have undergone treatment for primary brain cancer.

RATIONALE: Levetiracetam and pregabalin are drugs that treat seizures. It is not yet known which drug is more effective in treating seizures caused by primary brain tumors. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well levetiracetam or pregabalin work in treating seizures in patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for primary brain tumors.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in children treated for cancer involving the central nervous system (CNS) provide educators with new challenges with regards to classification, monitoring, and intervention in the regular or special education classroom setting. Recommendations resulting from serial neurodevelopmental evaluations for these children often do not overlap with traditional special education recommendations commonly included in Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with congenital or genetic learning problems. The investigators currently do not know whether or not school-based treatment for learning problems, based on the child's IEP, incorporates recommendations made based on a neurodevelopmental evaluation appropriately. In addition, it is not clear whether or not the recommendations that are included in a child's IEP have any beneficial outcome on the child's learning and academic achievement over time. The purpose of this project is to examine the relationship between neurodevelopmental outcomes, recommendations for intervention, special education services and accommodations included in a child's school IEP, and outcome for the child following implementation of the IEP. The study has two major specific aims: To quantify the clinical and educational contributions of recommendations resulting from neurodevelopmental evaluations and the subsequent development of IEPs. Hypothesis 1.1: Higher concordance between recommendations made based on neurodevelopmental evaluations and criteria written into children's IEPs will be associated with more positive academic outcomes (i.e. maintenance or improvement in academic skills). Hypothesis 1.2: Children who have higher concordance between criteria written into their IEPs and academic services actually received will show more positive academic outcomes than children whose IEP criteria and academic services are less concordant. To evaluate an intervention that will improve academic outcomes for children treated for cancer. Hypothesis 2.1: Children whose IEPs are monitored more frequently will show more positive academic outcomes than their peers whose IEPs are monitored less frequently.

RATIONALE: Yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises may help lower stress and improve quality of life in patients with malignant brain tumors and their family caregivers. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well a stress reduction program works to improve the quality of life of patients with malignant brain tumors and their family caregivers.

RATIONALE: Electroacupuncture may help to reduce or prevent delayed nausea and vomiting in patients treated with chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in treating delayed nausea and vomiting in patients who are receiving chemotherapy for newly diagnosed childhood sarcoma, neuroblastoma, nasopharyngeal cancer, germ cell tumors, or Hodgkin lymphoma.

RATIONALE: Modafinil may help improve memory, attention, and fatigue caused by cancer treatment. PURPOSE: This phase II randomized trial studies how well modafinil works in treating children with memory and attention problems caused by cancer treatment for a brain tumor.

RATIONALE: An Opioid Titration Order Sheet that allows healthcare providers to adjust the dose and schedule of pain medication may help improve pain treatment for patients with cancer. It is not yet known whether the use of an Opioid Titration Order Sheet is more effective than standard care in treating pain caused by cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying an Opioid Titration Order Sheet to see how well it works compared with standard care in treating patients with cancer pain.

RATIONALE: Providing information that is tailored to answer patients' questions about clinical trials may help patients with cancer decide to enroll in a clinical trial. It is not known whether providing personalized information is more effective than basic information in helping patients make decisions about clinical trials. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying personalized information to see how well it works compared with basic information in helping patients make decisions about participating in a clinical trial.

RATIONALE: Donepezil may decrease the side effects caused by radiation therapy to the brain. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well donepezil works in treating young patients with primary brain tumors previously treated with radiation therapy to the brain.