Carboplatin Treatment Options in Pittsburgh, PA

Study comparing two regimens of nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin combination in elderly subjects (≥ 70 years old) with advanced NSCLC Read Less

There are currently no useful tests to identify patients who will respond to cetuximab therapy, notably because EGFR levels do not correlate with the clinical responses observed. Thus, the investigators are investigating the role of cellular immunity and immune escape mechanisms to explain the differential clinical response to cetuximab. Read Less

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy alone is as effective as chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating germ cell tumor. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying radiation therapy alone to see how well it works compared to chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed primary CNS germ cell tumor. Read Less

This randomized phase II trial studies how well carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab (CPB) work when given with or without cixutumumab in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer that is stage IV or has come back (recurrent). Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Other types of monoclonal antibodies, such as cixutumumab, may find tumor cells and help kill them. It is not yet known whether giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) together with bevacizumab is more effective when given with or without cixutumumab in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving a chemotherapy drug before surgery may shrink the tumor so that it is no longer present by conventional imaging and tumor markers from serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Combining different types of therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This Phase II trial is studying how well neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without surgery and with or without high dose chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplantation, can increase response rates prior to radiation therapy and increase progression free and overall surviving patients with newly diagnosed intracranial germ cell tumors. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to test safety and efficacy of this combination treatment (IMGN901, carboplatin and etoposide) in patients with solid tumors and extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Pemetrexed disodium may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. 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 the growth of non-small cell lung cancer by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving carboplatin and pemetrexed disodium together with bevacizumab may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving carboplatin and pemetrexed disodium together with bevacizumab works in treating patients with stage III or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer who are light or never smokers. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of iniparib administered as monotherapy or in combination regimens in patients previously treated with iniparib in a clinical study and who have derived clinical benefit after completion of the parental study's objectives. Read Less

Background: - Paclitaxel and carboplatin are two standard drugs that stop cancer cells from reproducing. ABT-888 is an experimental cancer drug that may prevent cancer cells from "fixing" the damage done by chemotherapy drugs. This may make the chemotherapy work better. More tests are needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of ABT-888 plus chemotherapy. Researchers also want to find the best dose of ABT-888 for people who have kidney or liver problems in addition to cancer. Objectives: - To test the safety and effectiveness of ABT-888 plus carboplatin and paclitaxel in people who have both cancer and kidney or liver problems. Eligibility: * Individuals at least 18 years of age who have solid tumors that have not responded to standard treatment, and who also have kidney or liver problems. * A small group of people with solid tumors and normal kidney and liver function may also receive treatment for study comparison purposes. Design: * Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical exam. They will have blood and urine tests, tumor samples, tests of liver and kidney function, and imaging studies. Participants will also provide a hair sample at the start of the study. * Participants will take one dose of ABT-888 1 week before starting chemotherapy. The two chemotherapy drugs will be given on day 3 of a 21-day cycle. Participants will take ABT-888 daily for the first 7 days of each cycle. * They will keep a diary to record medication doses and any side effects. They will also have frequent blood tests and imaging studies. Participants will provide more hair samples on day 3 of cycle 1 before and after having paclitaxel. * Participants will continue treatment for up to 18 weeks as long as the cancer stops growing or shrinks and there are no serious side effects. Participants may have the option to continue treatment after the study is done. Read Less

This phase II trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or surgery work in treating patients with high-risk kidney tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving combination chemotherapy together with radiation therapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. Read Less

The subjects are being asked to take part in the Phase I or Phase II portion of a research study of a new investigational drug, LBH589, in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, carboplatin with etoposide. LBH589 (made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.) is considered "investigational" because it has not been approved for commercial use in the treatment of cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Etoposide and carboplatin are chemotherapeutic agents approved by the FDA for the treatment of for small cell lung cancer. LBH589 is a drug that may slow down the growth of cancer cells or kill cancer cells by blocking certain enzymes (proteins produced by cells). LBH589 has shown effects against cancer in laboratory studies and in studies using animals; however, it is not known if this medicine will show the same activity in humans. As of May 2006, approximately 100 patients have received treatment with either an intravenous or capsule form of LBH589. Only the capsule form of LBH589 will be used in this study. The main goal during the Phase I portion of this research study is to find out the highest and safest dose of LBH589 that can be given in combination with carboplatin with etoposide in subjects with lung cancer without causing severe side effects. The main goal of the Phase II portion of this study is to find how the subject's lung cancer responds to the LBH589 in combination with carboplatin and etoposide at the highest and safest dose that was given in Phase I. The subject may be enrolled in either Phase I or Phase II of the trial, depending on when they entered the study, but they will not be enrolled in both phases. This study will also investigate how the subject's body processes the combination of LBH589 and carboplatin with etoposide. To determine this, the investigators will measure the amount of study drug in the subject's blood. This will be done with a series of blood tests, called pharmacokinetic (PK) tests. Pharmacokinetics is the study of how the study drug moves through the body. Other purposes of this study will be to sample the subject's genetic material (DNA/RNA) as well as to determine biomarkers in their blood. (For some cancers, biomarkers are a way to measure the extent of their disease or the effects of treatment.) These samples will also be stored for future studies. Read Less

RATIONALE: Surgery alone may be effective in treating children with neuroblastoma. PURPOSE: Phase III trial to study the effectiveness of surgery alone in treating children who have neuroblastoma. Read Less