Cisplatin Treatment Options in New York

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. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have metastatic or recurrent head and neck cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Safingol may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth and by stopping blood flow to the tumor. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of safingol when given with cisplatin in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Irinotecan may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Irinotecan and docetaxel may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving combination chemotherapy together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of docetaxel when given together with irinotecan and radiation therapy with or without cisplatin in treating patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Biological therapies use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cell from growing. Combining different types of therapies may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy, surgery, peripheral stem cell transplantation, radiation therapy, and biological therapy in treating patients who have advanced neuroblastoma. 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 may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplant may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplant work in treating patients with central nervous system cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Chemoprotective drugs such as dimesna may protect normal cells from the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of dimesna in treating patients with solid tumors who are receiving cisplatin and paclitaxel. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and cisplatin, work in 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. Giving chemotherapy before radiation therapy, and combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy, may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of neoadjuvant gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and carboplatin followed by cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients who have locally advanced or recurrent carcinoma (cancer) of the urothelium. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which regimen of chemotherapy followed by peripheral stem cell transplantation is more effective for breast cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating women who have undergone surgery for breast 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. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of cisplatin plus gemcitabine in treating patients with refractory or recurrent ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal 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. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have advanced ovarian epithelial 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. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of bryostatin 1 plus cisplatin in treating patients who have metastatic or unresectable cancer. Read Less