Cisplatin Treatment Options in New Orleans, LA

This randomized phase III trial studies gemcitabine hydrochloride, cisplatin, and bevacizumab to see how well they work compared with gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin in treating patients with urinary tract cancer that has spread to other places in the body. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin, 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. Immunotherapy with bevacizumab, may induce changes in body's immune system and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. It is not yet known whether gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin are more effective when given with or without bevacizumab in treating patients with urinary tract cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy (RT) uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving radiation therapy in different ways and combining it with chemotherapy before surgery may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which radiation therapy regimen combined with chemotherapy with or without surgery is more effective for head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare two different radiation therapy regimens combined with cisplatin with or without surgery in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer. Read Less

This phase II trial studies how well giving chemotherapy before surgery works in treating patients with aggressive upper urinary tract cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin hydrochloride, cisplatin, gemcitabine hydrochloride, 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. Removing the affected upper urinary tract by surgery is the recommended treatment for upper urinary tract cancer, but can cause loss of kidney function and prevent patients from being able to receive chemotherapy after surgery. Giving chemotherapy before surgery, when the kidneys are working at their maximum, may allow less tissue to be removed during surgery and may be more effective in treating patients with high grade upper urinary tract 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, and giving them after surgery, may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy, consisting of paclitaxel and cisplatin, given after surgery in treating patients with cancer of the esophagus or stomach. 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, radiation therapy, and surgery may kill more tumor cells. E7296 was conducted to study neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative chemoradiation therapy in patients diagnosed with high-risk gastric cancer using a new neoadjuvant regimen: paclitaxel plus cisplatin. It was hypothesized that this new neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and chemoradiation therapy would be well tolerated and would have a high curative resection rate. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies can locate cancer cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. It is not yet known whether cisplatin plus monoclonal antibody therapy is more effective than cisplatin alone for metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized double-blinded phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of cisplatin with or without monoclonal antibody in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent 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. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of tumor cells. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy plus interleukin-2 and interferon alfa is more effective than combination chemotherapy alone for metastatic melanoma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare combination chemotherapy with or without interleukin-2 and interferon alfa in treating patients who have metastatic melanoma that cannot be treated by surgery. Read Less

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some find tumor cells and kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Others interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Cetuximab may help cisplatin and fluorouracil work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drugs. It may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving cetuximab together with chemotherapy and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving cetuximab together with cisplatin, fluorouracil, and radiation therapy works in treating immunocompetent patients with stage I (closed to accrual as of 11/3/2008), stage II, (some stage II closed to accrual as of 11/3/2008) or stage III anal 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 chemotherapy with radiation therapy before surgery may shrink the tumor so that it can be removed during surgery. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of two different regimens combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy in treating patients who are undergoing surgery for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, 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. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving paclitaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying paclitaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab to see how well they work when followed by cetuximab and two different doses of intensity-modulated radiation therapy in treating patients with HPV-associated stage III or stage IV cancer of the oropharynx that can be removed by surgery. Read Less

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as etoposide, carboplatin and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known which radiation therapy regimen is more effective when given together with chemotherapy in treating patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer. This randomized phase III trial is comparing different chest radiation therapy regimens to see how well they work in treating patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial is studying combination chemotherapy followed by surgery and two different combination chemotherapy regimens with or without PEG-interferon alfa-2b to compare how well they work in treating patients with osteosarcoma. 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. Biological therapies, such as PEG-interferon alfa-2b, may interfere with the growth of tumor cells. Giving combination chemotherapy before surgery may shrink the tumor so it can be removed. Giving combination chemotherapy together with PEG-interferon alfa-2b after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving combination therapy together with PEG-interferon alfa-2b is more effective than two different combination chemotherapy regimens alone after surgery in treating osteosarcoma. Read Less