Active clinical trials for "Sarcoma"

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.

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 exatecan mesylate in treating patients who have advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

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.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use 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: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining O6-benzylguanine and carmustine in treating patients who have recurrent, metastatic, or locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of cancer by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of bortezomib in treating patients who have advanced or metastatic sarcoma.

This multi-center photodynamic therapy study plans to treat patients with large tumors in any superficial location, sarcoma, tumors of oral/oro-pharyngeal cavity, tumors with extensive pelvic involvement, or liver metastasis. The treatment is limited to patients that have failed to respond to currently approved methods of treatment. The study involves a single, intravenous administration of an investigational drug, LS11 (previously studied in approximately 80 cancer patients) and the placement of a novel, flexible light delivery catheter inside the tumor by a minor surgical procedure. The activation of LS11 by the light delivery catheter over a period of 1-24 hrs may result in destruction of tumor tissue.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a peptide may make the body build an immune response and kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase I trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy in treating patients who have metastatic cancer that has not responded to previous therapy.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of ixabepilone in treating young patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors or leukemia.

Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of imatinib mesylate in treating patients who have relapsed or refractory solid tumors of childhood. Imatinib mesylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth.