Active clinical trials for "Precancerous Conditions"

RATIONALE: Chemoprevention is the use of certain drugs to keep cancer from forming. The use of Polyphenon E, a substance found in green tea, may keep cancer from forming in current or former smokers with bronchial dysplasia. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well green tea extract works in treating current or former smokers with bronchial dysplasia.

RATIONALE: Chemoprevention is the use of certain drugs to keep cancer from forming. The use of vitamin D may keep colorectal cancer from forming in patients with colon polyps. PURPOSE: This randomized phase I trial is studying a vitamin D supplement to see how well it works compared with a placebo in preventing colorectal cancer in African Americans with colon polyps.

The purpose of this study is to see if a drug called sulindac can prevent the development of changes in the mouth that are related to oral pre-cancer growths (oral epithelial dysplasia) or oral cancer. Sulindac is an anti-inflammatory drug that has already been tested in people with arthritis (inflammation of a joint). This study is being done by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center in Cochin, India, and Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in Trivandrum, India.

RATIONALE: Photodynamic therapy uses light and drugs that make cancer cells more sensitive to light to kill tumor cells. Photodynamic therapy using aminolevulinic acid may be effective in treating patients with skin cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well photodynamic therapy that includes aminolevulinic acid works in treating patients with skin cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of decitabine in treating patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma or other advanced cancer that has not responded to previous therapy.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, 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. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving paclitaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying paclitaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab to see how well they work when followed by cetuximab and two different doses of intensity-modulated radiation therapy in treating patients with HPV-associated stage III or stage IV cancer of the oropharynx that can be removed by surgery.

RATIONALE: Losartan may be effective in treating patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the side effects of losartan and to see how well it works in treating patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

RATIONALE: Ground flaxseed may prevent breast cancer in premenopausal women at increased risk of developing primary breast cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well flaxseed works in preventing breast cancer in premenopausal women at risk of breast cancer.

RATIONALE: Photodynamic therapy uses a drug that becomes active when it is exposed to a certain kind of light. When the drug is active, precancerous cells and cancer cells are killed. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well photodynamic therapy with porfimer sodium works in treating patients with precancerous lesions, cancer, or other disease of the aerodigestive tract.

RATIONALE: Polyunsaturated fatty acids are important for normal growth and development. One type, called omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, fish oil, and some other foods), may affect the growth of abnormal breast cells. PURPOSE: This randomized pilot trial is studying how well omega-3 fatty acids work in treating women with newly diagnosed ductal carcinoma in situ and/or atypical ductal hyperplasia.