Active clinical trials for "Kidney Neoplasms"

This is a Phase 1/1B, non-randomized, open-label, dose-escalation study of robatumumab (SCH 717454, MK-7454) administered in combination with chemotherapy in pediatric participants with solid tumors, to be conducted in conformance with Good Clinical Practices. This study will evaluate the safety, tolerability and dose-finding of robatumumab when administered in combination with temozolomide and irinotecan (Arm A); or cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine (Arm B), or ifosfamide and etoposide (Arm C). The primary study hypothesis is that robatumumab can be safely administered in combination with chemotherapy regimens in pediatric participants with solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Specialized radiation therapy that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well conformal radiation therapy works in treating patients with metastatic cancer outside the brain.

RATIONALE: Interleukin-7 may stimulate the white blood cells to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of interleukin-7 in treating patients with metastatic melanoma or locally advanced or metastatic kidney cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine and irinotecan, work in 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 phase II trial is studying how well giving gemcitabine together with irinotecan works in treating patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic kidney cancer.

This study will evaluate the safety and side effects of two experimental vaccines in patients with kidney cancer and determine whether the vaccines "turn on" an immune response to the cancer. Each vaccine contains one of two peptides (pieces of proteins) from the fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF-5) antigen, a protein produced by some cancer cells, and an oil-based liquid called Incomplete Freud's Adjuvant (Montanide ISA-51) that enhances the immune response to the vaccine. Patients 16 years of age and older who have kidney cancer that has spread beyond the kidney or whose primary kidney tumor has been removed within 6 months before entering the study and are at high risk for disease recurrence may be eligible for this study. Patients must have tissue type human leukocyte antigen serotype within HLA-A A serotype group (HLA-A2) or human leukocyte antigen serotype within HLA-A A serotype group (HLA-A3) (determined by a blood test for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing) and their tumors must produce the FGF-5 peptide. Candidates are screened with a physical examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), tumor biopsy (removal of a small sample of tumor for examination) in patients whose tumor is easily accessible, and scans (computed tomography (CT), bone scans) and x-rays if current scans are not available. Participants are divided into two groups according to their HLA type (HLA-A2 or HLA-A3) to receive the vaccine appropriate for their HLA type. They are then further divided into three groups: 1) Group 1 includes patients who do not need or are ineligible for treatment with interleukin-2 (IL-2), a protein made by certain infection-fighting white cells that helps fight tumors) and patients who have previously had IL-2 therapy; 2) Group 2 includes patients who require immediate treatment with IL-2; and 3) Group 3 includes patients whose cancer has been surgically removed but who are at risk for recurrence. Patients in Groups 1 and 3 receive two peptide injections four times a week every 3 weeks for up to a year, or until their tumor grows (or returns in patients in Group 3) or the side effects are too severe to continue. Tumors are evaluated with a physical examination and scans or x-rays every 12 weeks and blood tests are done every 3 weeks. Patients in Group 2 receive two peptide injections every day for 4 days, along with doses of IL-2 starting the day after the first peptide injection. The vaccines are given as injections under the skin of the thigh. IL-2 is infused through a vein over 15 minutes every 8 hours for up to 12 doses, depending on tolerance. The vaccine and IL-2 are repeated every 10 to 14 days, with tumor evaluations every 2 months. Patients stay in the hospital about 1 week during each treatment cycle to receive the IL-2. All patients undergo leukapheresis, a procedure for collecting large numbers of white blood cells. Blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and flows through a cell separator machine, where the white cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned to the patient through the same needle or a needle in the other arm. The white cells are examined to evaluate how the vaccines change the action of immune cells. Some patients may undergo an additional biopsy of normal skin and tumor or lymph node to look at the effects of the vaccine on the immune cells in the tumor. Patients in Group 1 whose cancer grows and patients in Group C whose cancer returns may be offered IL-2 treatments as given to Group 2 patients, along with the peptide vaccine. If the disease responds to IL-2, the treatment may be repeated after 2 months.

Background: Some patients with advanced kidney cancer have immune cells that can recognize and kill their cancer, but the cells are not active enough or numerous enough to accomplish this on their own. In recent studies of patients with advanced melanoma, some patients given special tumor-fighting cells (cells taken from the patient's tumor cells and grown in the laboratory) showed some anti-tumor response. Objectives: -To determine whether special tumor-fighting cells taken from the patient's blood or tumor and grown in the laboratory can cause tumors in patients with kidney cancer to shrink when they are given back to the patient along with interleukin-2. Eligibility: Patients 18 years of age or older with advanced kidney cancer. Design: Up to 29 patients will be treated in this study. Patients undergo tumor biopsy to collect tumor cells for creating special tumor-fighting cells for later infusion. Patients undergo apheresis to collect stem cells for later re-infusion. For apheresis, whole blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein and circulated through a cell-separating machine where the stem cells are extracted. The rest of the blood is returned through the same needle or a needle in the other arm. Before receiving the treated white cells, patients are given two drugs to suppress the immune system so the treated cells can work without interference from immune system cells. They are given cyclophosphamide over 2 days through a catheter (plastic tube inserted into a vein in the arm or neck) and fludarabine through the catheter over 15-30 minutes for the next 5 days. The day after the last dose of fludarabine, the tumor-fighting cells are infused through a vein over 10-20 minutes. Following the cell infusion, patients start treatment with high-dose interleukin-2 every 8 hours for a maximum of 12 doses. Patients are evaluated with x-ray studies about 1 month after receiving the cells and interleukin 2 (IL-2) to look for tumor response to treatment. Those who show significant improvement continue to receive treatment until the treated cells are used up or the patient no longer benefits or develops unacceptable side effects.

This is an international, open label, randomized phase 3 trial in which patients with surgically removable kidney cancer will be randomly selected post-operatively to receive adjuvant treatment with autologous HSPPC-96 or no adjuvant treatment. All patients will undergo complete surgical removal of their tumors.

Partial nephrectomy (kidney removal) is a standard therapy for clinical T1 renal (kidney) tumors. The goals of surgery are to accurately remove the tumor with no cancer cells at the edge of the remaining tissue, to limit blood loss, and preserve kidney function. The most common technique is to clamp the blood supply to the entire kidney during removal and to surgically repair the tumor bed with suture and agents to stop bleeding. This stops the blood supply to the entire kidney including the healthy tissue, which can cause damage to the remaining tissue due to a shortage of oxygen if left clamped too long. This study uses a microwave pre-coagulation technique using the Certus 140™ to facilitate a bloodless area near the tumor for accurate tumor removal and repair, while avoiding clamping the blood supply, but its effect on the function of kidney adjacent to tumor is unknown. If adequate stoppage of bleeding is achieved using the Certus 140™ with minimal heat spreading to the remaining tissue, clamping and a shortage of oxygen can be avoided. The hypothesis is that microwave pre-coagulation is a safe method for providing the stoppage of bleeding during partial kidney removal.

This phase I clinical trial is studying the side effects and best dose of veliparib and gemcitabine hydrochloride when given with cisplatin in treating patients with advanced biliary, pancreatic, urothelial, or non-small cell lung cancer. Veliparib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and gemcitabine hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. Veliparib may help cisplatin and gemcitabine hydrochloride work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drugs.

Background: One way tumors are able to grow is by forming new blood vessels that supply it with nutrients and oxygen. Vandetanib (ZD6474) is an experimental drug that blocks certain proteins on the surface of tumor and blood vessel cells that are involved with the formation of new blood vessels. Blocking these proteins may prevent the tumor cells or blood vessels from continuing to grow. Objectives: To determine whether vandetanib can cause tumors to shrink or stabilize in patients with advanced kidney cancer. To determine how vandetanib may work in people with kidney cancer and to develop tests that may be helpful in studying kidney cancer. Eligibility: -Patients 18 years of age or older with advanced clear cell kidney cancer whose disease has worsened after treatment with one or more of the following drugs: sunitinib, sorafenib, interleukin-2 and temsirolimus; or patients who have had to stop treatment with these drugs due to unacceptable side effects; or patients who are unable to receive standard treatment. Design: Patients take a vandetanib pill once a day in 28-day cycles. Patients are followed in the clinic every 2 weeks during the first month of treatment and then every 4 weeks for a physical examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram and a review of any drug side effects. Patients have imaging scans (computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) about every 8 weeks to monitor tumor growth. MRI scans are also done to look at tumor blood flow when treatment begins, 24 hours after the first dose of treatment, and again about 4 and 8 weeks after starting treatment Optional tumor biopsies (surgical removal of a sample of tumor tissue) may be done before starting vandetanib treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment to look for drug effects on the tumor.