Active clinical trials for "Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive"

This study proposes to treat patients with the combination of erlotinib and temozolomide. Patients with relapsed, recurrent, refractory, or high risk malignancies whose tumors possess a non-synonymous mutation in EGFR, ERBB2, or JAK2V617F (JAK2) will be eligible for the study. Very few phase 2 clinical trials have been performed in pediatrics using targeted agents in combination with conventional chemotherapy agents. Furthermore, since some combinations such as the combination of this study (erlotinib and temozolomide) have shown additive/synergistic effects in preclinical studies, therapy selecting for those patients who possess mutations targeted by the TKI of the study, may unveil activity that has not been previously observed. Thus, the investigators hope to determine whether the addition of additive/synergistic chemotherapy will increase efficacy of target agent and/or increase tumor susceptibility to targeted agent resulting in increased anti-tumor activity.

This phase I trial investigates the side effects and effectiveness of chemotherapy followed by a donor (allogeneic) stem cell transplant when given to patients with high grade brain cancer. Chemotherapy drugs, such as fludarabine, thiotepa, etoposide, melphalan, and rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin, 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 chemotherapy before a donor stem cell transplant helps kill cancer cells in the body and helps make room in the patient's bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into a patient, they may help the patient's bone marrow make more healthy cells and platelets and may help destroy any remaining cancer cells.

This pilot clinical trial studies whole-body radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy, and high-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell rescue in treating patients with poor-risk Ewing sarcoma. Giving chemotherapy and radiation therapy before a peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant stops the growth of tumor cells by stopping them from dividing or killing them. After treatment, stem cells are collected from the patient's blood and stored. More chemotherapy is given to prepare the bone marrow for stem cell transplant. The stem cells are then returned to the patient to replace the blood-forming cells that were destroyed by the chemotherapy

This pilot trial studies fluorine F 18 fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) positron emission tomography and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in planing surgery and radiation therapy and measuring response in patients with newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma. Comparing results of diagnostic procedures done before and after treatment may help doctors predict a patient's response and help plan the best treatment.

This phase II trial studies the side effects and how well imetelstat sodium works in treating younger patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors. Imetelstat sodium may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of chemotherapy with topotecan, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and vincristine plus radiation therapy and peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating children with newly diagnosed medulloblastoma or supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of surgery, conventional chemotherapy, sequential high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and reduced dose radiation therapy in high-risk PNET brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as lomustine, cisplatin, and vincristine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving radiation therapy followed by combination chemotherapy after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving radiation therapy followed by combination chemotherapy works in treating young patients with supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

This phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of melphalan when given together with carboplatin, mannitol, and sodium thiosulfate, and to see how well they work in treating patients with central nervous system (CNS) embryonal or germ cell tumors that is growing, spreading, or getting worse (progressive) or has come back (recurrent). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as melphalan and carboplatin, 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. Osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD) uses mannitol to open the blood vessels around the brain and allow cancer-killing substances to be carried directly to the brain. Sodium thiosulfate may help lessen or prevent hearing loss and toxicities in patients undergoing chemotherapy with carboplatin and BBBD. Giving melphalan together with carboplatin, mannitol, and sodium thiosulfate may be an effective treatment for recurrent or progressive CNS embryonal or germ cell tumors.

This laboratory study is evaluating how well dactinomycin and vincristine work in treating young patients with cancer. Studying samples of blood and urine in the laboratory from patients with cancer may help doctors learn how dactinomycin and vincristine affect the body and how patients will respond to treatment.