Active clinical trials for "Urethral Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving chemotherapy before radiation therapy, and combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy, may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of neoadjuvant gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and carboplatin followed by cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients who have locally advanced or recurrent carcinoma (cancer) of the urothelium.

Bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth. This phase II trial is studying how well bortezomib works in treating patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium.

This study is about two chemotherapy study drug combinations (regimens) that are used for urothelial (bladder or upper urinary tract) cancer. Both study drug regimens, gemcitabine (gemcitabine hydrochloride) plus cisplatin, and high-dose-intensity MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin plus cisplatin), are standard chemotherapy regimens. Both regimens are used to treat people with urothelial cancer that has spread to other organs. Both study drug regimens have been proven to be effective in lowering the risk of the cancer coming back, but it is not known which regimen is the best. This study hopes to learn whether there is a difference in the effectiveness and side effects of these two study drug regimens when they are given to people who have had their urothelial cancer completely removed.

This comprehensive genomic analysis and biospecimen repository study incorporates Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of archival tumor tissue from 200 subjects with metastatic urothelial cancer in support of several parallel goals. The immediate goal involves generation of a comprehensive report identifying subject specific genetic mutations and/or alterations based on NGS. Additionally, DNA and RNA extracted from tumor specimens and any remaining blocks/slides from the NGS will be stored for future research. Long-term, the goal of this endeavor is to support collaborative translational research projects in metastatic urothelial cancer by allowing investigators to interrogate abstracted coded clinical data linked to data from any biospecimen studies.

This randomized clinical trial studies the Family Caregiver Palliative Care Intervention in supporting caregivers of patients with stage II-IV gastrointestinal, gynecologic, urologic and lung cancers. Education and telephone counseling may reduce stress and improve the well-being and quality of life of caregivers of cancer patients.

The objective is to show non-inferiority of overall survival between four cycles and six cycles of first-line cisplatin based chemotherapy to determine the optimal duration of chemotherapy in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma.

RATIONALE: Sunitinib malate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects of giving sunitinib malate and to see how well it works in treating patients with locally recurrent, locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic urinary tract cancer.

This is a Phase Ib/II, open-label, multi-center, competitive enrollment and dose-escalation study of ALT-801 in a biochemotherapy regimen either containing cisplatin and gemcitabine or containing gemcitabine alone in patients who have muscle invasive or metastatic urothelial cancer of bladder, renal pelvis, ureters and urethra. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and the recommended dose (RD), and assess the anti-tumor response of ALT-801 in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine or ALT-801 in combination with gemcitabine alone. The pharmacokinetic profile of ALT-801 in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine will also be assessed. The study includes a dose escalation phase (Phase Ib) and a dose expansion phase (Phase II). Phase II has two treatment groups, Expansion Group 1 and Expansion Group 2. Expansion Group 2 is for platinum-refractory patients, consisting of two treatment arms based on the patient's renal function. Patients will enroll to Expansion Group 2 after stage 1 of the Group 1 expansion is complete.

RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood and urine from patients with cancer and from healthy participants in the laboratory may help doctors identify and learn more about biomarkers related to cancer. PURPOSE: This laboratory study is looking at biomarkers in patients with kidney cancer or cancer of the urothelium and in healthy participants.