Cisplatin Treatment Options in Maine

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 four-drug combination chemotherapy is more effective than two-drug combination chemotherapy in treating advanced cancer of the urothelium. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of four-drug combination chemotherapy with that of two-drug combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have advanced cancer of the urothelium. 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

This randomized phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of veliparib when given together with or without cisplatin and etoposide and to see how well they work in treating patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer or large cell neuroendocrine non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and etoposide, 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. Veliparib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving cisplatin and etoposide with or without veliparib may work better in treating patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer or metastatic large cell neuroendocrine non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

This partially randomized phase I/II trial studies the side effects and best dose of sunitinib malate and to see how well it works when given together with cisplatin or carboplatin and etoposide in treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and etoposide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Sunitinib malate 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 cisplatin or carboplatin and etoposide are more effective when given with or without sunitinib malate in treating small cell lung cancer. Read Less

This randomized phase II trial studies radiation therapy and cisplatin to see how well they work compared with radiation therapy alone in treating patients with endometrial cancer that has come back. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays and other types of radiation to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 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. It is not yet known whether giving radiation therapy together with cisplatin is more effective than radiation therapy alone in treating patients with endometrial cancer. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial studies how well giving cisplatin and radiation therapy together with or without carboplatin and paclitaxel works in treating patients with cervical cancer has spread from where it started to nearby tissue or lymph nodes. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of \[cancer/tumor\] cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. External radiation therapy uses high-energy x rays to kill tumor cells. Internal radiation uses radioactive material placed directly into or near a tumor to kill tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving cisplatin and external and internal radiation therapy together with carboplatin and paclitaxel kills more tumor cells. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial studies radiation therapy with chemotherapy to see how well they work compared to radiation therapy alone in treating patients with stage I-IIA cervical cancer who previously underwent surgery. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 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. It is not yet known whether giving radiation therapy together with chemotherapy is more effective than radiation therapy alone in treating patients with cervical cancer. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial compares two different high-dose chemotherapy regimens followed by a stem cell transplant in treating younger patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. 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 combination chemotherapy before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. Giving these treatments before a peripheral blood stem cell transplant helps kill any tumor cells that are in the body and helps make room in the patient?s bone marrow for new blood-forming cells (stem cells) to grow. After treatment, stem cells are collected from the patient's blood and stored. High-dose chemotherapy and radiation therapy is then given to prepare the bone marrow for the stem cell transplant. The stem cells are then returned to the patient to replace the blood-forming cells that were destroyed by the high- chemotherapy. It is not yet known which regimen of high-dose chemotherapy is more effective for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma undergoing a peripheral blood stem cell transplant. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial compares how well two different combination chemotherapy regimens (doxorubicin hydrochloride, cisplatin, and paclitaxel versus carboplatin and paclitaxel) work in treating patients with endometrial cancer that is stage III-IV or has come back (recurrent). Drugs used in chemotherapy such as doxorubicin hydrochloride, cisplatin, 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. It is not yet known which combination chemotherapy regimen is more effective in treating endometrial cancer. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial studies carboplatin and paclitaxel to see how well they work with or without cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients with stage I-IVA endometrial cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, paclitaxel, 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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain after surgery. It is not yet known whether carboplatin and paclitaxel are more effective with or without cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients with endometrial 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. 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. Giving more than one chemotherapy drug (combination chemotherapy) together with cetuximab may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying three different combination chemotherapy regimens to compare how well they work when given together with cetuximab in treating patients with metastatic esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer. Read Less