Dexamethasone Treatment Options in Ohio

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radioactive substances such as strontium-89 may relieve bone pain associated with prostate cancer. It is not yet known whether chemotherapy is more effective with or without strontium-89 in treating bone metastases. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying giving chemotherapy together with strontium-89 to see how well it works compared to chemotherapy alone in treating patients with prostate cancer that has spread to the bone. Read Less

The purpose of this network is to accelerate research in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation by comparing novel therapies to existing ones. Read Less

Patients undergoing rotator cuff repair or subacromial decompression at the investigators institution are frequently hospitalized overnight due to inadequate pain relief after resolution of interscalene brachial plexus blocks. For ropivacaine 0.5%, the investigators usual local anesthetic, previous studies report an analgesic duration of 11.1 ± 5 hours without epinephrine and approximately 12 hours with epinephrine. Consequently, a method of prolonging analgesia from a brachial plexus block without the extra equipment and logistical difficulties of indwelling catheters would benefit both patients and caregivers. A potential approach is use of adjuvant drugs that prolong block duration when added to the local anesthetic. In addition to the usual adjuvant anesthetic drugs, investigators have begun to evaluate glucocorticoids as adjuvants for regional anesthesia. Known for their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunosuppressive, and antiemetic properties, these corticosteroids exert their effects by inhibition of phospholipase A2 as well as changes in cell function induced by glucocorticoid receptor activation. Although associated with significant toxicity when administered in large doses for long periods, emerging literature suggests that a single perioperative dose of glucocorticoid is safe. Several studies, including a recent trial at the investigators institution, have demonstrated the efficacy of dexamethasone in prolonging regional anesthetics. Available data thus suggest that combining glucocorticoids with local anesthetics prolongs block duration. However, systemic glucocorticoids have also been shown to reduce postoperative pain. This raises the question whether the beneficial effects of adding glucocorticoid to a regional anesthetic is solely due to local effect or is mediated at least in part by systemic action. Previous trials, however, have not addressed this important issue. If this beneficial effect of analgesic duration is mediated by systemic action, adding dexamethasone to the local anesthetic mixture may be unnecessary. Although no study has reported neurotoxicity from perineural dexamethasone and laboratory data appear to confirm the safety of this route, achieving similar results with more conventional administration would be desirable for two reasons. First, conventional intravenous dosing is convenient, useful for other reasons (for example, postoperative nausea prophylaxis), and well-studied. Second, equivalent (or not equivalent) results from systemic dosing would provide valuable information about the mechanism behind dexamethasone's effect on block duration. Read Less

RATIONALE: Antiemetic drugs, such as granisetron, dexamethasone, prochlorperazine, aprepitant, and palonosetron, may help lessen or prevent nausea. It is not yet known which combination of antiemetic drugs is more effective in preventing nausea caused by chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is comparing different combinations of granisetron, dexamethasone, prochlorperazine, aprepitant, and palonosetron to see how well they work in preventing nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Read Less

To compare the efficacy of combination oral thalidomide plus oral dexamethasone treatment to that of oral dexamethasone-alone treatments as induction (first-line) therapy for subjects with active multiple myeloma Read Less

This phase I trial studies the side effects and the best dose of temsirolimus when given together with dexamethasone, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and pegaspargase in treating young patients with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Temsirolimus may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as dexamethasone, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and pegaspargase work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving temsirolimus with combination chemotherapy may be and effective treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Read Less

This randomized phase III trial compares bortezomib, dexamethasone, and lenalidomide with bortezomib and dexamethasone to see how well they work in treating patients with multiple myeloma previously treated with dexamethasone. Bortezomib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as dexamethasone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Lenalidomide may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop cancer cells from growing. It is not yet known whether giving bortezomib and dexamethasone is more effective with or without lenalidomide in treating multiple myeloma. Read Less

This study will assess the ability of Doxorubicin, Vincristine and Dexamethasone plus arsenic trioxide to achieve an overall response rate of greater than 60%. Read Less

This multicenter clinical trial tested whether minimal ventilation decreases death or BPD. Infants with birth weight 501g to 1000g and mechanically ventilated before 12 hours were randomly assigned to minimal ventilation (partial pressure of carbon dioxide \[PCO(2)\] target \>52 mm Hg) or routine ventilation (PCO(2) target \<48 mm Hg) and a tapered dexamethasone course or saline placebo for 10 days, using a 2 x 2 factorial design. The primary outcome was death or BPD at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age. Blood gases, ventilator settings, and FiO2 were recorded for 10 days; complications and outcomes were monitored to discharge. The infants' neurodevelopment was evaluated at 18-22 months corrected age. Read Less

This study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of different dosages and administration schedules of an investigational agent administered over 3 days when added to standard therapy used in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Subjects will be asked to complete daily diaries while on study medication. In addition subjects will be required to return to the investigational site several times during the course of the study for follow up safety assessments which may include blood samples for hematology and chemistry evaluations as well as physical exams. A final assessment will be preformed on study Day 20-30 at which time the subject will complete the study. Read Less

This phase II trial is studying how well giving combination chemotherapy together with alemtuzumab works in treating patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy 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. Monoclonal antibodies, such as alemtuzumab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Giving combination chemotherapy together with alemtuzumab may kill more cancer cells. Read Less

RATIONALE: Chemotherapy plus interferon alfa may be effective for primary systemic amyloidosis. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of dexamethasone plus interferon alfa in treating patients who have primary systemic amyloidosis. Read Less