Carboplatin Treatment Options in Maryland

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known if paclitaxel is more effective with or without carboplatin in treating stage IV breast cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of paclitaxel with or without carboplatin in treating women who have stage IV breast cancer. Read Less

SU5416, a novel antiangiogenesis agent, has been shown to be a potent and selective inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase activity of FlK-1 (a downstream effector of VEGF) in vitro and to inhibit the growth of endothelial cells. Since VEGF mRNA levels and vessel counts in tumor tissues have been shown to be inversely related to prognosis in ovarian cancer, SU5416 may prove to be a useful agent in this disease. Platinum agents currently provide the most effective treatment for ovarian cancer. However, ovarian cancer often becomes refractory to platinum therapy, leaving the patient with a poor prognosis. This is a phase I study designed to: a) determine a dose level of carboplatin to use in combination with an established dose of SU5416 for treatment of patients with platinum-refractory ovarian cancer, b) assess the side effect profile of SU5416 and carboplatin combination therapy, c) characterize any alterations in SU5416 pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters when given in combination with carboplatin, d) characterize carboplatin pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters when given in combination with SU5416, e) do exploratory studies to assess the effect of SU5416 on platinum-DNA adduct levels, f) do exploratory studies to assess any alterations in ERCC1 mRNA levels when carboplatin is administered with SU5416, and g) obtain preliminary evidence of the ability of SU5416 to reverse platinum resistance in patients with platinum-refractory ovarian carcinoma. Read Less

The presence of a highly selective blood-brain barrier (BBB) at the level of the brain capillary endothelium prevents chemotherapeutic agents from attaining therapeutic concentrations at the target site. RMP-7 is a synthetic bradykinin analog which specifically binds to B2 receptors expressed on the brain capillary endothelial cells and preferentially increases capillary permeability within CNS tumors. Carboplatin is an anticancer agent with preclinical and clinical antitumor activity against a variety of brain tumors. A pediatric phase I trial of the combination of RMP-7 and carboplatin will be conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose of RMP-7 in children with refractory brain tumors. Read Less

The purposes of this study are to determine the following: Whether LY900003 plus gemcitabine and carboplatin can make your tumor smaller or disappear, and for how long. If treatment with LY900003 plus gemcitabine and carboplatin can help you live longer. The safety of LY900003 plus gemcitabine and carboplatin and any side effects that might be associated with the combination of these three drugs. How LY900003 is distributed and broken down by your body when it is given with carboplatin and gemcitabine. Whether LY900003 affects the way gemcitabine and carboplatin are distributed and broken down by your body. Read Less