Active clinical trials for "Astrocytoma"

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an experimental radiation therapy technique which is based on the principle of irradiating boron atoms with neutrons. When neutrons have relatively low energy, boron atoms that have been targeted to cancerous tissue using a suitable boron carrier (an amino acid derivative called BPA, boronophenylalanine) will capture the neutrons. As a result from the neutron capture the boron atoms will split into two, producing helium and lithium ions. The helium and lithium ions, in turn, have only a short pathlength in tissue (about 5 micrometers) and will deposit their cell damaging effect mainly within the tumor provided that the boron carrier (BPA) has accumulated in the tumor. In practice, the study participants will receive BPA as an approximately 2-hour intravenous infusion, following which the tumor is irradiated with low energy (epithermal) neutrons obtained from a nuclear reactor at the BNCT facility. BNCT requires careful radiation dose planning, but neutron irradiation will last approximately only for one hour. In this study BNCT is given once. The study hypothesis is that anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas that have recurred following conventional radiotherapy might accumulate the boron carrier compound, and might respond to BNCT.

This phase II trial is studying how well tipifarnib works in treating young patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, or brain stem glioma. Tipifarnib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth.

The experimental anti-cancer drug IL13-PE38QQR, which is being developed for the treatment of malignant brain tumors, is composed of parts of two proteins: the immune system cytokine IL13 and a toxin from the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The IL13 part of the drug binds to another protein, the IL13 receptor, when this receptor is displayed on the outside surface of cells. Cells with drug bound to the IL13 receptor take up the drug, and the toxin part of the drug then kills those cells. Since brain tumor cells display the IL13 receptor, they are potential targets that may be killed by this drug. This is a pilot study to visualize the distribution of IL13-PE38QQR infused into and around brain tumor tissue before and after surgical removal of the tumor in adult patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Stored tumor tissue will be tested for presence of the receptor protein, which is required for study entry. Eligible patients will then undergo biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of recurrent malignant glioma. IL13-PE38QQR will be infused for 96 hours into and around tumor tissue through catheters that have been placed surgically. For the first 48 hours the drug will be mixed with a radioactive tracer, so that the distribution of the drug can be followed by a type of scanning called SPECT. Surgery to remove the tumor will be performed approximately 15 days after the end of the infusion. Catheters will again be placed surgically, and IL13-PE38QQR will be infused a second time for 96 hours. Radioactive tracer will be included in the infusion for the first 48 hours. For both infusions, SPECT scans will be taken at 6, 24, and 48 hours after the start of infusion. MRI scans will be taken within 90 minutes of the 24 and 48 hour SPECT scans. Patients will be followed closely with further scans and laboratory tests until completion of the study approximately 58 days after completion of the second infusion.

IL13-PE38QQR is an oncology drug product consisting of IL13 (interleukin-13) and PE38QQR (a bacteria toxin). IL3-PE38QQR is a protein that exhibits cell killing activity against a variety of IL13 receptor-positive tumor cell lines indicating that it may show a therapeutic benefit. In reciprocal competition experiments, the interaction between IL13-PE38QQR and the IL13 receptors was shown to be highly specific for human glioma cells. Patients will receive IL13-PE38QQR via a catheter placed directly into the brain tumor. Tumor recurrence will be confirmed by biopsy. The next day, patients will start a continuous 48-hour infusion of IL13-PE38QQR into the tumor. The dose (concentration) will be increased in the pre-resection infusion until the endpoint is reached (histologic evidence of tumor cytotoxicity or a maximum tolerated dose). Tumor resection will be planned for one week after biopsy, plus or minus 1 day. A histologically-effective concentration (HEC) will be determined using pathologic observations. At the end of resection, three catheters will be placed in brain tissue next to the resection site and assessed within 24 hours using MRI. On the second day after surgery, IL13-PE38QQR infusion will begin and will continue for 4 days. The lowest pre-resection IL13-PE38QQR concentration will be used as the starting dose for post-resection infusions. After an HEC or maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined, the pre-resection infusion will no longer be administered. Subsequent patients will have tumor resection and placement of three peri-tumoral catheters at study entry. IL13-PE38QQR will be infused starting on the second day after surgery and continuing for 4 days. Escalation of the post-resection IL13-PE38QQR concentration will be continued until the previously-defined HEC or MTD is reached, after which duration of the post-resection infusion will be increased in one day increments for up to 6 days. If a post-resection MTD is obtained, there will be no increase in duration of infusion. In the final stage of the study, catheters will be placed 2 days after tumor resection, and a 4-day IL13-PE38QQR infusion will begin the day after catheter placement. Patients will be observed clinically and radiographically for toxicity and duration of tumor control.

This clinical trial will study the safety and effectiveness of an engineered herpes virus, G207, administered directly into the brain of patients with recurrent brain cancer. G207 has been modified from the herpes virus that causes cold sores (called herpes simplex virus type 1 or HSV-1). G207 has been designed so that it should kill tumor cells, but not harm normal brain cells. G207 has been shown to be safe in animal testing completed to date and in previous studies in patients with brain tumors. This is a phase Ib/II study. In the phase Ib portion of the study, patients will receive G207 at a dose that is higher than tested in previous human studies. Patients will initially receive 15% of the assigned dose injected directly into the brain tumor. Approximately two days later, as much of the tumor as possible will be surgically removed, and more G207 will be injected into the brain tumor bed. Patients will be monitored, and medical tests will be done at specific study timepoints. The phase II portion will begin only if there are no safety concerns in the phase Ib portion. The goals of the phase II portion of the study are to determine the safety of G207 and to study patient survival at six months after G207 dosing. In the phase II portion of the study, patients will receive a single dose of G207 at the highest dose determined to be safe in the phase Ib portion of the study. The tumor will be removed, and G207 will be injected into any remaining tumor tissue in the brain tumor bed. Patients will be closely monitored, medical tests will be performed at specific study visits, and survival will be evaluated.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying two different combination chemotherapy regimens and comparing how well they work in treating children with low-grade astrocytomas or other residual tumors of the brain.

RATIONALE: Current therapies for adults with anaplastic astrocytomas that have not responded to standard therapy provide very limited benefit to the patient. The anti-cancer properties of Antineoplaston therapy suggest that it may prove beneficial in the treatment of adults with anaplastic astrocytomas that have not responded to standard therapy. PURPOSE: This study is being performed to determine the effects (good and bad) that Antineoplaston therapy has on adults with anaplastic astrocytomas that have not responded to standard therapy.

In this research study, we want to learn about the safety of the study drugs, ribociclib and everolimus, when given together at different doses after radiation therapy. We also want to learn about the effects, if any, these drugs have on children and young adults with brain tumors. We are asking people to be in this research study who have been diagnosed with a high grade glioma, their tumor has been screened for the Rb1 protein, and they have recently finished radiation therapy. If a patient has DIPG or a Bi-thalamic high grade glioma, they do not need to have the tumor tissue screened for the Rb1 protein, but do need to have finished radiation therapy. Tumor cells grow and divide quickly. In normal cells, there are proteins that control how fast cells grow but in cancer cells these proteins no longer work correctly making tumor cells grow quickly. Both study drugs work in different ways to slow down the growth of tumor cells. The researchers think that if the study drugs are given together soon after radiation therapy, it may help improve the effect of the radiation in stopping or slowing down tumor growth. The study drugs, ribociclib and everolimus, have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ribociclib is approved to treat adults with breast cancer and everolimus is approved for use in adults and children who have other types of cancers. The combination of ribociclib and everolimus has not been tested in children or in people with brain tumors and is considered investigational. The goals of this study are: Find the safest dose of ribociclib and everolimus that can be given together after radiation. Learn the side effects (both good and bad) the study drugs have on the body and tumor. Measure the levels of study drug in the blood over time. Study the changes in the endocrine system that may be caused by the tumor, surgery or radiation.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of ubidecarenone injectable nanosuspension (BPM31510) in treating patients with high-grade glioma (anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma) that has come back and have been previously treated with bevacizumab. BPM31510 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of azurin-derived cell-penetrating peptide p28 (p28) in treating patients with recurrent or progressive central nervous system tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as azurin-derived cell-penetrating peptide p28, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.