Active clinical trials for "Neuroectodermal Tumors"

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.

This clinical trial studies genetic biomarkers from saliva samples in patients with Ewing sarcoma. Studying samples of saliva from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and identify biomarkers related to cancer.

Diagnostic trial to study genetic differences in patients who have Ewing's sarcoma. Genetic testing may help predict how cancer will respond to treatment and allow doctors to plan more effective therapy.

This pilot clinical trial studies gallium Ga 68-edotreotide (68Ga-DOTATOC) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in finding brain tumors in younger patients. Diagnostic procedures, such as gallium Ga 68-edotreotide PET/CT imaging, may help find and diagnose brain tumors.