Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: New imaging procedures, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, may improve the ability to detect the extent of cancer in the brain. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of functional magnetic resonance imaging and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in treating patients who have newly diagnosed brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of carmustine followed by surgery in treating patients who have recurrent supratentorial malignant glioma or metastatic brain neoplasm.

RATIONALE: IL-4(38-37)-PE38KDEL immunotoxin may locate tumor cells and kill them without harming normal cells. This may be an effective treatment for recurrent malignant astrocytoma. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of IL-4(38-37)-PE38KDEL immunotoxin in treating patients who have recurrent malignant astrocytoma.

The prognosis of children and adolescents with high risk tumors of the central nervous system and other miscellaneous solid tumors is poor despite modern treatment protocols. Frequently, physicians suggest additional therapy with high dose chemotherapy after a good initial response to standard doses of treatment has been obtained, so as to reduce the chance that the tumor will recur. We propose a regimen of high dose thiotepa and melphalan followed by rescue of the patient's previously stored hematopoietic (blood manufacturing) system with blood stem cells. The aim of this study is to prove that this therapy is tolerable in children and adolescents, that it results in tolerable levels of toxicity, and that it improves the survival of this group of children as compared to standard therapy given in the past

RATIONALE: CT-322 may stop the growth of glioblastoma multiforme by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as irinotecan, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving CT-322 together with irinotecan may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase 2 trial is studying the side effects, tolerability, and efficacy of CT-322 when given alone and in combination with irinotecan to patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gemcitabine when given together with paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin, and to see how well they work in treating patients with progressive or relapsed metastatic germ cell tumors.

RATIONALE: Cilengitide may stop the growth of brain metastases by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving cilengitide together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of cilengitide when given together with whole-brain radiation therapy in treating patients with brain metastases from lung cancer.

RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as MRI, may help doctors learn how efaproxiral works in the brain and help plan the best treatment. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is using MRI to evaluate the effect of efaproxiral on the brain in patients with recurrent or progressive glioma receiving treatment on clinical trial NABTT-9806.

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. A bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplant using stem cells from the patient may be able to replace blood-forming cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy. This may allow more chemotherapy to be given so that more tumor cells are killed. PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying how well giving combination chemotherapy with or without etoposide followed by an autologous stem cell transplant works in treating young patients with previously untreated malignant brain tumors.

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. Giving radiation therapy in different ways with combination chemotherapy may kill any remaining tumor cells following surgery. It is not yet known which radiation therapy regimen combined with combination chemotherapy is more effective in treating medulloblastoma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare different radiation therapy regimens plus combination chemotherapy in treating children who have undergone surgery for medulloblastoma.