Active clinical trials for "Sarcoma"

RATIONALE: Biological therapies, such as tumor necrosis factor, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Studying tumor necrosis factor in samples of tumor tissue and healthy tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn how tumor necrosis factor works in tumor tissue and healthy tissue. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying tumor necrosis factor in patients undergoing surgery for primary cancer or metastatic cancer .

For patients who have one or two metastases in the brain, the tumor(s) can often be removed with surgery to relieve symptoms from the tumor(s) and to improve survival. However, about half of all patients who have the tumor(s) removed with surgery will develop regrowth (recurrence) of the tumor. To prevent this regrowth of tumor, some patients receive radiation to the entire brain (whole brain radiation) after surgery. This involves daily treatment for about two to three weeks, and may cause long-term neurological problems, such as memory loss. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is sometimes used instead of surgery to treat brain metastasis. This involves the use of a special head frame and sophisticated computer programs that enable us to deliver a high dose of radiation to a small focused area of the brain in only one treatment. Research has shown that the results of treatment with SRS are as good as surgical removal of the tumor. SRS and surgical resection are considered the standard options for the treatment of brain metastases. This Phase II clinical trial is studying the combination of these two techniques. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of SRS following surgical removal of brain metastases. The outcomes we will be looking at are tumor regrowth after treatment and side effects of treatment.

The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if the combination of radiation therapy plus low dose doxorubicin chemotherapy given after surgery is effective in the treatment of sarcoma. The safety of this treatment will also be studied.

Bortezomib will enhance the activity of dacarbazine against melanoma and soft tissue sarcoma. Weekly administration of the combination will prove to be feasible and tolerable at an appropriate dose.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as AMG-479, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of AMG-479 in treating patients with advanced solid tumors or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

This phase II trial study has a 6-patient feasibility portion studying the tolerability of chemotherapy with vincristine sulfate together with topotecan hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, and bevacizumab in treating young patients with refractory or first recurrent extracranial Ewing's sarcoma. If the therapy is considered tolerable, this feasibility run-in will be followed by a randomized phase II portion studying giving vincristine sulfate together with topotecan hydrochloride, and cyclophosphamide to see how well it works compared with giving vincristine sulfate together with topotecan hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, and bevacizumab in treating young patients with refractory or first recurrent extracranial Ewing's sarcoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vincristine sulfate, topotecan hydrochloride, and cyclophosphamide, 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 bevacizumab, 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. Bevacizumab may also stop tumor growth by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving combination chemotherapy together with bevacizumab may kill more tumor cells.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are generally considered resistant to radiation, but no prospective trials addressing efficacy and tolerability of radiation therapy have been carried out. Limited clinical experience suggests that selected GIST patients may benefit from palliative radiation therapy. The purpose of this prospective, non-randomized, multicenter study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of palliative radiation therapy in GIST patients who have progressive GIST during or after tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

This phase II trial is studying how well CCI-779 works in treating patients with soft tissue sarcoma or gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as CCI-779, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of the experimental drug bevacizumab for treating both non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). KS tumors depend on the formation of new blood vessels for their growth. Bevacizumab is an antibody to a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that is produced by the body and is involved in blood vessel growth. Bevacizumab may block the action of VEGF, and thus help shrink KS lesions. Patients 18 years of age and older with Kaposi's sarcoma that is restricted to the skin and is not life threatening may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and physical examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), chest x-ray, and, if needed, imaging studies to evaluate internal tumors. Participants will receive bevacizumab intravenously (by vein) once a week for 2 weeks and then every 3 weeks at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center. The first infusion takes about 90 minutes, the second takes about 60 minutes, and subsequent infusions take about 30 minutes. Infusions may take longer, however, if the drug is better tolerated at a slower infusion rate. Patients will be evaluated with the following tests and procedures: Physical examination, assessment of drug side effects, measurement of KS lesions, and photographs of lesions once a week for the first 6 weeks of therapy, and then every 3 weeks. cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cell counts and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load in HIV-positive patients every 12 weeks. Biopsies of lesions: upon entering the study, at week 12, and at the time of a response of the tumor to therapy or at the end of treatment, if treatment ends at week 18 or later. Additional biopsies, if requested. (Additional biopsies are not required.) Other procedures, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, if medically indicated. Patients may continue bevacizumab therapy indefinitely if they are benefiting from it, as long as they have no substantial toxicity or other conditions that would cause them to stop receiving it and the protocol remains open.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of perifosine in treating patients who have metastatic or locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma.