Carboplatin Treatment Options in Maine

To evaluate the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced squamous cell lung cancer receiving the combination of gemcitabine/carboplatin either with or without Iniparib. Based on data generated by BiPar/Sanofi, it is concluded that iniparib does not possess characteristics typical of the PARP inhibitor class. The exact mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated, however based on experiments on tumor cells performed in the laboratory, iniparib is a novel investigational anti-cancer agent that induces gamma-H2AX (a marker of DNA damage) in tumor cell lines, induces cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in tumor cell lines, and potentiates the cell cycle effects of DNA damaging modalities in tumor cell lines. Investigations into potential targets of iniparib and its metabolites are ongoing. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of different regimens of combination chemotherapy followed by peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating children who have newly diagnosed brain tumor. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial studies carboplatin, paclitaxel, and sorafenib tosylate to see how well they work compared to carboplatin and paclitaxel in treating patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Sorafenib tosylate 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. It is not yet known whether giving carboplatin and paclitaxel together with sorafenib tosylate is more effective than carboplatin and paclitaxel in treating melanoma. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, thiotepa, and etoposide, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Isotretinoin may be effective in preventing recurrence of glioma. It is not yet known which regimen of chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation with or without isotretinoin is more effective in treating recurrent high-grade glioma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying high-dose chemotherapy or intermediate-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation to see how well it works compared to high-dose chemotherapy or intermediate-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation and isotretinoin in treating young patients with recurrent high-grade glioma. Read Less

To assess the efficacy and safety of PF-3512676 administered in combination with paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with locally advanced or metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and to compare it to the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel Read Less

In this phase II trial the investigators propose to evaluate ixabepilone in combination with carboplatin and trastuzumab as neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced breast cancer patients. Patients with early stage, HER2-positive breast cancer will receive six cycles of neoadjuvant treatment with ixabepilone, carboplatin, and trastuzumab every three weeks prior to surgery; after surgery, patients will continue treatment with trastuzumab every three weeks until week 52. Concomitant with the post-operative trastuzumab treatment, patients with hormone receptor-positive tumors will receive anti-estrogen treatment. Also, after the completion of chemotherapy, patients may receive radiation treatment at the discretion of their physician. Read Less

RATIONALE: Amifostine may be an effective treatment for the toxic side effects caused by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. It is not yet known whether chemotherapy and radiation therapy are more effective with or without amifostine for non-small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of amifostine in treating patients who have stage II or stage III non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be surgically removed and who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Read Less

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. Combination chemotherapy plus surgery may be an effective treatment for neuroblastoma. PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy followed by surgery works in treating young patients with neuroblastoma. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use 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. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which therapy regimen is most effective for treating patients with kidney tumors. PURPOSE: Phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy, surgery, and/or peripheral stem cell or bone marrow transplantation in treating young patients with kidney tumors. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to look for an improvement in progression free survival with the combination of pemetrexed, carboplatin (or cisplatin) and cetuximab in participants with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, cisplatin, fluorouracil, and carboplatin, 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. Combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which regimen of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is most effective in treating head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of two different regimens of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer. Read Less

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: This randomized phase III trial is studying two different combination chemotherapy regimens and comparing how well they work in treating children with low-grade astrocytomas or other residual tumors of the brain. Read Less