Paclitaxel Treatment Options in Iowa

This randomized phase III trial studies how well radiation therapy, paclitaxel, and carboplatin with or without trastuzumab work in treating patients with esophageal cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as 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. Monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. It is not yet known whether giving radiation therapy and combination chemotherapy together with or without trastuzumab is more effective in treating esophageal cancer. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Some tumors become resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Giving interferon alfa and isotretinoin together with paclitaxel may reduce resistance to the drug and allow the tumor cells to be killed. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving interferon alfa and isotretinoin together with paclitaxel works in treating patients with recurrent small cell lung 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, 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 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 paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in treating patients with refractory metastatic germ cell tumors that have not responded to surgery or chemotherapy. Read Less

RATIONALE: Vaccines may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, 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. 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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving vaccine therapy together with bevacizumab after chemotherapy and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects of giving BLP25 liposome vaccine together with bevacizumab after chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed stage IIIA or stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. 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. 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

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, 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 bevacizumab, 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. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of non-small cell lung cancer by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Pemetrexed disodium may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some enzymes needed for cell growth. It is not yet known whether giving bevacizumab or pemetrexed disodium alone or in combination is more effective in treating non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying bevacizumab and pemetrexed disodium alone or in combination after induction therapy to see how well they work in treating patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung 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 cancer cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have advanced cancer of the urothelium with decreased kidney function. Read Less

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving paclitaxel together with carboplatin works in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic collecting duct renal cell cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. 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 followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV cancer of the larynx or stage III or stage IV cancer of the oropharynx. 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 chemotherapy drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of carboplatin combined with paclitaxel in treating patients who have advanced thymoma. Read Less