Cisplatin Treatment Options in Arizona

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Thalidomide may stop the growth of tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known if combination chemotherapy is more effective with or without thalidomide for multiple myeloma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with or without thalidomide in treating patients who have refractory multiple myeloma. Read Less

RATIONALE: Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. It is not yet known whether interferon alfa is more effective with or without combination chemotherapy and interleukin-2 for melanoma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of interferon alfa with or without combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine, plus interleukin-2, in treating patients who have melanoma. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, etoposide, gemcitabine, and methylprednisolone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy works in treating patients with newly diagnosed stage II, stage III, or stage IV T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 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. Chemoprotective drugs such as dexrazoxane may protect normal cells from the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Phase III trial to study the effectiveness of three combination chemotherapy regimens plus dexrazoxane in treating patients who have newly diagnosed nonmetastatic osteosarcoma. 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 radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of etoposide plus radiation therapy followed by combination chemotherapy in treating children with newly diagnosed advanced medulloblastoma. Read Less

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known which treatment regimen is more effective for endometrial cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare radiation therapy with chemotherapy in treating patients who have advanced endometrial 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. It is not yet known if treatment with cisplatin plus epinephrine is effective for head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized double-blinded phase III trial to determine the effectiveness of cisplatin plus epinephrine in injectable gel form in treating patients who have recurrent or refractory 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. Giving more than one drug and giving the drugs in different ways may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of cisplatin-epinephrine injectable gel plus paclitaxel and carboplatin in treating patients who have recurrent head and neck cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: 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. A bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplant using stem cells from the patient may be able to replace blood-forming cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy. This may allow more chemotherapy to be given so that more tumor cells are killed. PURPOSE: This phase III trial is studying how well giving combination chemotherapy with or without etoposide followed by an autologous stem cell transplant works in treating young patients with previously untreated malignant brain tumors. 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. It is not known whether high-dose radiation therapy is more effective than standard dose radiation therapy in treating cancer of the esophagus. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus high- or standard-dose radiation therapy in treating patients with cancer of the esophagus. Read Less

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving radiation therapy in different ways and combining it with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. Celecoxib may slow the growth of cervical cancer by stopping blood flow to the tumor. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy plus celecoxib, fluorouracil, and cisplatin in treating patients who have locally advanced cervical cancer. 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 more than one chemotherapy drug with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy plus combination chemotherapy in treating patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less