Active clinical trials for "Sarcoma"

Background: Pediatric solid tumors (Ewing's sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and neuroblastoma) are often difficult to cure with standard treatment. Immune therapy using an experimental vaccine made from proteins from the patient's tumor cells may boost the body's immune response against the tumor. The effects of chemotherapy on the immune system can potentially make immunotherapy more effective if administered soon after completion of chemotherapy. The addition of recombinant human IL-7 (interleukin 7) (rhIL-7 (recombinant human interleukin 7)) may make the immunotherapy more effective. Objectives: -To determine whether immune therapy given after immune suppression can help the body fight the tumor and to determine the safety of the treatment. Eligibility: -Patients with solid tumors, i.e., Ewing's sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma or neuroblastoma whose disease has recurred after treatment or spread beyond the original site Design: Patients undergo tumor biopsy (removal of a piece of tumor tissue) to collect tumor cells for making a vaccine from proteins in the patient's tumor and apheresis (removal of a quantity of white blood cells) to collect white cells for re-building the immune system after immune therapy. Apheresis is repeated three times during immunotherapy (weeks 8, 14 and 20). After receiving standard chemotherapy for their tumor (and an additional course of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide to further suppress immunity if needed) patients receive immune therapy in Cohorts A and B. rhIL-7 is given 48 hours before the vaccine, as an injection under the skin in an extremity that will not be used for the vaccine in patients in Cohort B only. You will be watched closely for 6 hours after the rhIL-7 for any signs of reaction. rhIL-7 will be given before vaccine doses #1, #2, #3, and #4. The vaccine is given at study weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. Each vaccine is given as a total of six separate rhIL-7 followed by injections: three intradermal (like a (tuberculosis) TB test) on one arm or leg and three subcutaneous (like those for insulin injections for diabetes). on the other arm or leg. An anesthetic cream may be used to minimize the discomfort of injections. Patients' white cells are returned to them by infusion through a vein on the first day of immune therapy. Imaging studies and immune studies are done at weeks 1, 8 and 20 to determine the response to treatment on the tumor and on the immune system.

Background: The drug liposomal doxorubicin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). A second drug, bevacizumab, is a biologic agent (such as antibodies, interleukins, and vaccines) that stops abnormal blood supply to tumors. Bevacizumab is approved by the FDA, in combination with other drugs, for the treatment of breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer. Researchers are now studying the combination of liposomal doxorubicin with bevacizumab as a novel approach to the treatment of advanced KS. Researches will be measuring KS tumor responses to this combination to determine whether the drugs might have anti-KS activity. Objectives: To estimate the overall response rate (ORR) of six cycles of liposomal doxorubicin combined with bevacizumab in patients with advanced KS. To evaluate the safety of the regimen and to estimate the complete response rate after six cycles, the median number of cycles needed to obtain a partial response, and the 12-month progression-free survival. Eligibility: Patients 18 years or older with relatively severe acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related KS or patients with KS unrelated to AIDS or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, whose KS that can be evaluated for potential response to therapy and meet a number of other criteria. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are not eligible. Other ineligibility criteria include surgery within 4 weeks, chemotherapy within 3 weeks, heart disease, hemoptysis (coughing up blood), or gastrointestinal bleeding. Design: Researchers will conduct the following tests before the start of the study: Physical examination and a detailed medical history. A biopsy. Blood and urine tests. Treatment will include two phases, an induction phase and a maintenance phase: Induction phase dose: Intravenous (IV) bevacizumab 15 mg/kg once, followed 7 days later by liposomal doxorubicin mg/m2 and bevacizumab every 3 weeks for six cycles. Maintenance phase dose: IV bevacizumab every 3 weeks for 11 cycles. Monitoring will include a review of side effects, physical exam (including blood pressure), and blood and urine samples; following the induction phase, the patient will receive a multi gated acquisition scan and electrocardiography (EKG) to record electrical activity in the heart. Research tests include blood and saliva samples, additional biopsies (optional), and noninvasive imaging. Treatment is stopped if any of the following occur: completion of 1 year of therapy, progressive KS, patient preference, or unacceptable toxicity. Post-treatment evaluations include clinic visits every 3 months or as needed up to 2 years, and blood and saliva samples (for research).

This phase II trial studies how well temsirolimus and cixutumumab works in treating patients with locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent soft tissue sarcoma or bone sarcoma. Temsirolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cixutumumab, can block tumor growth by blocking the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving temsirolimus with cixutumumab may be an effective treatment for soft tissue or bone sarcoma.

This phase 1/2, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AMG 655 when combined with doxorubicin compared with doxorubicin alone in subjects with previously untreated, locally advanced or metastatic, unresectable soft tissue sarcoma.

The goal of this clinical research study is to find out if Caphosol® (calcium phosphate) mouthwash is more effective than a baking soda solution at preventing and treating mucositis, in patients with sarcoma who are to be treated with chemotherapy. The safety of this drug will also be studied. Researchers also want to learn about the way calcium phosphate may affect mucous membranes. The goal of this clinical research study is to see if Caphosol® (calcium phosphate) mouthwash is better than baking soda solution in patients with sarcoma who are to be treated with chemotherapy . Caphosol will also be studied to see if it lessens the incidence and severity of oral mucositis (painful sores in the mouth).

The purpose of this study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of the TLC D-99 combined with ifosfamide and then the efficacy of this combination in terms of overall response rate, time to progression and time of response

Patients with recurrent or refractory solid tumors or brain tumors that are unresponsive to conventional therapy, or with no known effective therapy, will be treated. Experiments in the laboratory have shown the experimental drug RAD001C (RAD001, Everolimus) can prevent cells from multiplying. RAD001 is now being tested in diseases such as cancer, in which excessive cell multiplication needs to be stopped. The drug has been tested in adult cancer patients and has been well tolerated by subjects in these studies. It is experimental and, therefore, available in clinical trials.

The purpose of this study is to learn if a vaccine made from the patient's own tumor cells, then genetically modified to secrete granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), will delay or stop the growth of the tumor. It will also look at the vaccine's effects on the immune system and the side effects of giving a vaccine made from a subject's own cancer cells.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. 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. Giving bortezomib together with cetuximab may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of bortezomib when given together with cetuximab in treating patients with advanced solid tumors.

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of high dose radiation administered by both proton and photon therapy. Radiation is an effective treatment for many types of tumors and it is thought that radiation alone, when given in much higher doses over a shorter period of time, may be more effective in controlling recurrence of sarcoma.