Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy followed by bleomycin in treating adult patients who have newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme.

The goal of this study is to find the maximum dose of a drug, temozolomide, that can safely be given to subjects with brain tumors. Past studies showed that the maximum dose of temozolomide was limited by low blood counts. The investigators will use blood stem cells collected from bone marrow to help subjects recover their blood counts, a procedure called autologous stem cell transplant or stem cell rescue. This way, the investigators expect to be able to safely deliver very high doses of temozolomide. This study is only available at Tufts Medical Center.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of trebananib in treating patients with solid tumors that has returned after a period of improvement or does not respond to treatment, including central nervous system tumors. Trebananib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

RATIONALE: Mibefradil dihydrochloride may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. 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 I trial is studying the best dose of mibefradil dihydrochloride when given together with temozolomide in treating patients with glioma.

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 help 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 temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving bevacizumab together with temozolomide and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving bevacizumab together with temozolomide and external beam radiation therapy works when given as first-line therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme or gliosarcoma.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib 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 temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving bortezomib together with temozolomide and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells and allow doctors to save the part of the body where the cancer started. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well bortezomib works when given together with temozolomide and regional radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme or gliosarcoma.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from peptides may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. 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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving vaccine therapy together with temozolomide and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of vaccine therapy when given together with temozolomide and radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

This phase II trial studies the side effects and how well HSPPC-96 (vitespen) and temozolomide work in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. Vaccines made from a person's tumor cells and heat shock protein peptide may help the body to build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving HSPPC-96 (vitespen) together with temozolomide may kill more tumor cells.

RATIONALE: Giving an infusion of natural killer cells from a donor after a donor stem cell transplant may help kill any remaining cancer cells after the transplant. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of donor natural killer cells when given after a donor stem cell transplant in treating patients with advanced cancer.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from peptides and a person's dendritic cells may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy in treating patients with malignant glioma.