Active clinical trials for "Sarcoma"

This is a Phase II study using a combination of external beam radiation with intratumoral injection of dendritic cells (white blood cells) as neo-adjuvant treatment for patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcoma. The purpose was to determine if an injection of the patient's own immune related white blood cells into their tumor would strengthen the immune system to fight against their cancer.

To determine the anti-tumour activity and biological effects of cediranib (AZD2171) at a dose of 45mg, primarily in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST) patients who are resistant to imatinib mesylate (current standard therapy) and also in patients with metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS) resistant to standard therapy.

RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy drugs, such as busulfan, melphalan, and thiotepa, before a donor stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of tumor cells and prepares the patient's bone marrow for the stem cells. When the healthy stem cells from a donor are infused into the patient they may help the patient's bone marrow make stem cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Sometimes the transplanted cells from a donor can make an immune response against the body's normal tissues. Giving tacrolimus, sirolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil may stop this from happening. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving busulfan together with melphalan and thiotepa followed by a donor stem cell transplant works in treating patients with high-risk Ewing's tumors.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)is the commonest malignancy associated with HIV/AIDS. Therapy for this cancer, which causes substantial morbidity, is suboptimal in resource poor settings. The reasons for this are: advanced state of immunosuppression when patients present for clinical care, concomitant opportunistic infections, non- availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), non-availability and toxicity of chemotherapy (CXT), when available, in patients with full blown AIDS, prohibitive costs of bone marrow support and fiscal constraints in resource poor settings. A recent Cochrane Review assessed the effectiveness of current therapeutic regimens for HIV KS, with a focus on options available in resource poor settings. The major selection criteria for this review were randomized controlled trials for HIV KS in adults. The main conclusions were that data from randomized controlled trials on effective treatments for HIV KS are sparse, particularly among people who are also taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Alitretinoin gel is effective for therapy of cutaneous lesions, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin is effective for advanced KS and radiotherapy is effective for treating cutaneous lesions. Apart from the randomized trial of radiotherapy, no trials applicable to developing settings were identified. Therapy of HIV KS in developing countries thus remains unanswered. The authors concluded that therapies discussed in the review are unlikely to be available or affordable in developing countries where the bulk of HIV infection and KS occur, apart from radiotherapy at a few tertiary centers. However, recent changes in pricing due to the global alliance and access initiatives mean that HAART is likely to be more available and accessible to developing countries in the near future. South Africa now has committed to this at cabinet level and had a task force to address this issue. HAART has been proposed as therapy for HIV KS on the basis of restoring immune competence and minimizing the HIV tat drive to KS formation. It also improves immunologic control of HHV 8 possibly through interrupting the HIV-1- HHV-8 interaction. There has been only one randomised trial conducted in Spain which compared HAART to the combination of HAART and CXT. There is to date no prospective, randomised controlled trial which compares the efficacy of HAART to the standard of care in HIV KS in Africa.

This clinical trial is studying the side effects of combination chemotherapy and to see how well they work in treating patients with newly diagnosed localized Ewing sarcoma family of tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy 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) and giving the drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells.

RATIONALE: Imatinib mesylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well imatinib mesylate works in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans or giant cell fibroblastoma.

This phase II trial is studying how well oxaliplatin works in treating young patients with recurrent solid tumors that have not responded to previous treatment. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as oxaliplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of ridaforolimus when administered once daily for 5 consecutive days (QDx5) every two weeks in participants with advanced sarcoma.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of tanespimycin in treating young patients with recurrent or refractory leukemia or selected solid tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as tanespimycin, work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

RATIONALE: Herpesvirus is found in the lesions of most patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, and may have a role in causing Kaposi's sarcoma. Valganciclovir is an antiviral drug that acts against many types of herpesviruses and may be an effective treatment for Kaposi's sarcoma. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well valganciclovir works in treating patients with classic non-HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.